


Fiat Justitia, Ruat Caelum

by spirithorse



Series: Tales from Britannia [12]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: F/F, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 07:59:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 33,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14397720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: A series of fics written between 9/1 and 9/30 as part of a celebration of the month of Zero Reqieum.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here are the fics from 2017 Month of Code Geass. They were previously on my tumblr, but I'm moving them here for archival purposes. I will be updating these on a weekly basis (on Sunday my time).
> 
> Title means "Let justice be done though the heavens fall" in Latin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from [the Arthurian AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098495/chapters/2237043).

C.C. was sure that this was the sort of thing that the bards would sing about for all time, which is perhaps why Lelouch had done it.

She reined in her palfrey, letting the mare have her head so the horse could graze. She ignored the way that the knights shifted around her, tempted just to signal them all to go forward. She was only protected because she was the queen and it was expected, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she could defend herself far better than any of them could. C.C. flexed her fingers before relaxing them. Magic was still a touchy business, and one that she would rather avoid. In the court, it was almost expected, but that was because the nobles tended to disbelieve things until it was shoved into their faces. That and it was considered exactly the kind of a bored habit that a noble lady would cultivate, anything to gain the attention of the young king.

Out in the field, it was different. The knights were all nobles, but they were used to fighting and had their strange superstitions. C.C. had thought that Charles had beaten those strange thoughts out of his people, but she was gratified that he hadn’t. It was better to trust in their experience over the capricious nature of a dead god.

She reached for her belt, ruefully tracing over the embroidered girdle. She could convince herself that remaining behind was for the best all she wanted, but that wouldn’t stop the urge to charge out into battle. She was as much of a fighter as all of the knights surrounding her, but Lelouch had told her that he wanted to do something spectacular. Spectacular like taking the castle with only one other knight.

C.C. didn’t know whether it was spectacular or stupid, but that would depend on if the two of them got out of the castle alive. It would be a miracle if they were uninjured.

She smoothed a hand over her dress, turning the motion into leaning forward and patting her horse’s neck. She would let Lelouch attempt this miracle on his own, and then she would remind him exactly what the parameters of their contract were. She had followed him back to Pendragon for that purpose only, her title and position were secondary.

Even with that, she couldn’t help but worry. Her own motives or not, she was attached to Lelouch and Suzaku, they were the most interesting people she had met in a long while. To lose either of them would be unfortunate.

She turned slightly at a gasp from behind her, watching as Sir Waldstein nudged his horse forward. The old knight had a hand held over his eyes, blocking them from the bright sun. The knight remained still for a moment before looking back at her. “My lady…look.”

C.C. sighed at the vague statement, but she turned her gaze back to the castle. It was hard to pick out much at the distance that Lelouch had demanded they remain at, but there was something different about the castle. She scanned over the walls, working her way up to the towers until she got to the flag that fluttered at the top of the castle. The knot of worry that she had been pointedly ignoring loosened slightly at the sight of the blue, silver and red flag flying where there had once been a yellow and red flag.

The flag jerked a bit but didn’t dip when it got to the top. C.C. smiled to herself and flicked her fingers, calling on a stiff wind. She coaxed the power out slowly, making it look natural as the wind shifted and came from over the castle, catching the flag and making it billow out.

There was an gasp from the assembled knights, Sir Weinberg the first one to break the silence. Gino stood up in his stirrups and whooped, the sound making some of the horses start and sidle. Her own palfrey raised its head, giving the knights a look before stepping away from their horses.

C.C. let the mare go, her gaze dropping to the gates. She thought she could see movement from there, but she couldn’t be sure. Either way, if Lelouch’s flag was flying above the castle, then it was a good bet that he had finished with what he wanted to do.

She gathered up her reins, ignoring the annoyed snort from her mare. Her attention was back on the knights, C.C. nodding at two of them. “Sir Weinberg, Sir Kozuki, let the flags fly. We’ll approach at an easy pace.”

Bismarck made a face. “My lady-”

“I trust the king.” She gave him a smile, watching Bismarck take it without question. He would probably see all the faith and blind loyalty that they expected from their women. He wouldn’t see anything else lurking behind it. If she was lucky, none of them would.

She cleared her throat, shifting in her saddle as the standards were passed over to the two chosen knights. It took a bit of shaking and careful undoing to loosen the flags so they flew. C.C. looked back at the flags as they caught her wind and snapped open, looking at the red bird outline that the silver dragon was wrapped around. She nodded to herself and nudged her mare forward, the palfrey breaking into a careful canter. For a moment, C.C. thought to check the mare, but she let the horse go. It was hardly a threatening approach because she was the one leading it. If anything, she looked like she was coming to pay a visit.

The approach up to the castle was even, C.C. swinging her mare onto the path. Approaching from the front would be better, especially if Lelouch had managed to stick to his plan. Anything impressive would only help him in the eyes of his knights, most of them who had been knighted under Charles. Anything to assure them of their loyalty would be considered the risk, as long as the risk was not too foolish.

She slowed her mare as they reached the front of the castle. C.C. smiled down at the man that was standing in the center of the open gates, toning it down from impressed to amused as Lelouch reached out to touch her hand. He brought it to his lips, kissing the back of her knuckles.

C.C. pulled her hand away, but softened the slight insult by sliding down from her mare, allowing Lelouch to help her down. She kept a hold of her own horse, leading the mare through the gate. “Run into any trouble?”

Lelouch slid his arm around her waist, the motion more careful showmanship than real affection. The latter would come when the three of them were alone. Lelouch might have been showy about how much he adored his queen, but it always came off a bit like an act. Lelouch had spent too many years worrying about how the people he loved would be taken away from him to be so casual about shows of affection.

He let his hand rest there for a moment before moving it to gesture at the courtyard. “If there was, it was nothing Suzaku couldn’t handle.”

C.C. looked over the courtyard, eyeing the bodies that were sprawled out on the ground. She couldn’t tell at first glance how many were dead and how many were unconscious, but that’s what the other knights were for. She could hear the rest of her escort exclaiming their wonder under their breath as they started to work through the bodies.

C.C. shook her head, glancing up at the front of the castle where Suzaku leaned against the door into the main hall. Aside from a cut across one cheek, he looked completely put together, like he had done nothing more than walk in and all the knights had fallen down at his and Lelouch’s feet. She wondered how long Lelouch had waited before raising the flag so the two of them could look like taking the castle had been done with almost no effort. It seemed like the sort of thing that Lelouch would do.

She led her mare to the steps, glad when Suzaku pushed away from the door and came to meet her halfway. He took the reins from her, giving her a respectful nod even as she looked him over. “No problems?”

The pause that followed her question was enough of an answer. Suzaku finally shook his head. “Nothing that needs to be talked about here.”

“So Lelouch then?”

Suzaku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Isn’t it always?”

“Our troublesome king.”

“Well, he did pull off a miracle.”

C.C. turned to look at where Lelouch was standing among his knights, issuing orders where they were needed. All of the knights had the same look of shock and awe on their faces and C.C. was sure that the stories were already being created. When they got back to Pendragon, C.C. fully expected songs to already be formed and ready to be sung.

All hail King Lelouch who took a castle with one knight and his wits and came out unscathed.


	2. Chapter 2

“I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” – Mary Shelley

* * *

 

Eupehmia stared down at the council that sat around her. She was highly aware of the way that it had been arranged, with the Britannians on one side of the table and the few Japanese representatives on the other.

There was an empty seat closest to her, the one that Lelouch would usually sit at when meetings about the Specially Administrative Zone were called. She wasn’t sure what business had kept him away, whether it was school or the Black Knights, but she envied him and hated him a little bit. The Britannian councilors were always more willing to listen when Zero sat at the head of the table with her. If Euphemia hadn’t known better, she would have suspected that the Britannian councilors had called the meeting knowing that Zero wouldn’t be there.

She sunk back in her seat, watching the seven men confer among themselves. There weren’t any sympathizers on that side, not even in the form of a woman. Euphemia was sure that she would be able to reason with another woman, but the men just seemed to delight in talking over her. This was the only time that they would be able to, because she wasn’t a princess in the Specially Administrative Zone. Even with her abdication from the line of succession everyone called her princess as a matter of habit or respect. Her sister practically demanded everyone still address Euphemia but the title when they were in the administrative building.

She rubbed her temples, making sure to look like she had been doing nothing but waiting patiently for the seven men to tell her what she had been doing wrong. Euphemia almost expected them to bring up the fact that she had brought her knight in on the daily running of the SAZ in spite of his criminal record when one of them tossed a small vial onto the table.

Euphemia stared at the red liquid that sloshed around inside of it before she looked up at the men. “What is this?”

“Refrain, your highness.” Euphemia tried not to flinch with the stress that the man put on the form of address. The man reached out to flick the vial closer to the Japanese side of the table, seeming to take joy in the way that the Japanese flinched away from it. “It’s a hallucinogenic drug that-”

“I know what it is.”

The man gave her a disappointed look before nodding. “Then you know that it’s illegal.”

“I am aware.”

“Well, one of our sweeps of the SAZ had revealed a lively Refrain trade, which is against the SAZ’s charter.”

“Define lively and trade.”

The man sighed and shook his head. “I understand why your highness would be unhappy to hear this, especially after all the work that you have put into this.” The man reached up to shift some documents on the screen in front of them. “But we made sure to make a thorough investigation. We wouldn’t want to start a witch hunt.”

“Of course not.” Euphemia mumbled the words, glancing over at where the Japanese councilors sat. A few of them looked furious, but most of them looked resigned, like they expected this to happen.

They had looked like that every meeting that had been called, despite the fact that most of them were just checks on how the infrastructure of the place was running. Even when they had successfully made tweaks to the initial model, all of them expected to have their hard won corner of Japan taken away from them again. It made her alternately sad and furious.

If she had still been a princess instead of one out of courtesy, she would have been able to order whatever she wanted to happen and she wouldn’t have had to deal with the meetings that tried to shut down what she had built.

On the other hand, if she had still been a princess, the SAZ wouldn’t have existed in the first place.

She sighed and stared at the screen, her heart sinking as she skimmed over what the Britannians had gathered. It was all laid out there in black and white; lists of buyers and sellers, drop points, even the amount of Refrain going into the SAZ. It was the perfect investigation and more than enough to prove that the SAZ was breaking its charter. Euphemia could point out that the Britannians had purposefully gotten the Japanese addicted to the drug and that they couldn’t expect everyone to drop it so easily, but the clause had been added to the charter and there was no getting around it.

Euphemia slumped slightly, moving through the documents aimlessly as she tried to buy herself more time. She glanced over at the Japanese, watching as they read over what was in front of them and ducked their heads. They were ready to give up, which meant that she would be fighting on her own.

Euphemia sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately wishing for Lelouch or Suzaku. She just wanted someone who would stand by her side without doubting her. As soon as she had that, she was sure that she could come up with something to fight them.

The SAZ was too important to let go. It was helping people, she knew that for a fact. She had been out among them, checking on how things were going and listening. She didn’t see defeated, ghosts of people, instead she saw a culture starting to thrive again. It was wonderful and beautiful and just what she wanted to do with her life. There were even places in the SAZ that were out producing some of the companies in the Britannian sectors in both quantity and quality. It should have worked.

She opened her eyes, staring at the screen as she tried to find a way out. She could always order a follow up investigation, but she knew who would have to be in charge of that. It would look suspicious if she sent a Japanese delegation because everyone would assume that they were hiding something. The only way to get this done was through the Britannians. If that happened, then the SAZ was done.

Euphemia could tell the men were getting impatient, she could see them shifting in their seats out of the corner of her eye. She took and deep breath, trying to keep up her charade of looking through what she had been given.

Her attention was pulled away by a blinking symbol at the corner of her screen. Euphemia touched it, bringing up the chat log. She didn’t care if it was unimportant, it would buy her more time, especially since it was a message from Zero.

_‘New Refrain ring open. Clear to engage.’_

There wasn’t a question mark, but Euphemia understood the question. She had managed to get Lelouch to agree to send her his plans, especially since they could reflect badly on the SAZ. Refrain raids were always allowed, but Lelouch still asked, which was wonderful of him. Euphemia was well aware that he could just charge in and ruin everything, but he had made a commitment and was sticking to it.

Her breath caught when she saw a second message follow the first.

_‘Business traced to Councilor Stafford. Sending documents for your side.’_

Euphemia glanced over at where Councilor Stafford was sitting, still gloating over what he thought was his victory. She kept her gaze on his face as she pulled up what Lelouch had dug up, a frown crossing her face when the same set of documents came up.

Euphemia looked between the two sets, her frown deepening when she realized that the only difference were the letterheads and the single letter of proof of inspection. Some part of her wondered at the audacity of the man, to take his own business and pass it off as a SAZ problem, but it was drowned out by the anger.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up everything that she had on the other councilors. Some of it she had managed to pull up herself, but some of it were things that Lelouch and the Black Knights had ferreted out. The latter was constantly updated, and it was telling her something that she should have realized long before, but she had been distracted by other matters.

Councilor Stafford had been involved in the Refrain trade from the start, Euphemia could see the familiar patterns emerging across what they had on him. The other five had all recently bought controlling shares or bought out companies that were struggling because of the SAZ. The final one hadn’t done anything overt, but there was a strange uptick in money going into his bank accounts, which could only mean one thing.

Angrily, she shut down her screen, standing up abruptly. The Japanese councilors were quick to scramble to their feet but the seven Britannians remained sitting. Euphemia met Councilor Stafford’s gaze before pointing to the door. “The seven are you are dismissed, get out.”

“So I assume that you will consider our information.”

“No.” The man seemed surprised by her immediate refusal, but Euphemia could feel nothing but joy about it. For once, she was ahead of him, and it was a glorious feeling. “You and the others are dismissed from this meeting and your posts. We will be filling them shortly.”

Stafford stood up, his chair falling to the ground. “You can’t do this.”

“I believe I can considering that all of you are in compromised positions. _That_ is against the charter as well.”

“You can’t prove it.”

“I believe I can.”

“And who will listen to you?” Stafford was shouting now, gesturing towards her. “The Elevens? That knight of yours? No one important will. They all know you’re an Eleven’s whore.”

Euphemia slammed her hand on the call button by her seat, the anger rolling in her resolving to blissful calm rage. She kept her gaze locked on Stafford as the guards poured into the room, all of them Britannians. Suzaku was a beat behind them, jogging in with a look of confusion on his face.

He took in the room before stepping closer to her. “Your highness.”

“I need these men escorted from my sight, save for Stafford. Make sure he gets to the administrative building and is secured there. The proper documentation will be ready when you get there. If my sister has anything to say about it, inform her that I’ll speak to her as soon as this meeting his done.”

Suzaku bowed, stepping around the table to help the guards march the seven Britannians out of the room.

Euphemia let them go silently until they reached the door, abruptly holding up her hand. She pushed away from the table, walking to the front of it as she leveled a glare at them. “You and the others can call me that all you want, but I want you to know this. I will defend this project to my last breath. If you try to take it away from me, be wary. It’ll take more than that to get what you want. Now, you are dismissed.”

She had to work to keep the last words from hissing out, but it was worth the effort to see the way that the men stared at her. Euphemia turned on her heel, dismissing them with a careless wave.

She made her way back to the table, ignoring the sounds of the councilors being manhandled down the hall. They weren’t her problem anymore, there was a whole list of things that called for her attention. The men could wait for later.

Euphemia slid back into her seat, giving the Japanese councilors a thankful nod. “I apologize for that and the fact that our meeting just got longer. We’ll have to choose new councilors, but I think we’ll have a better pool of candidates now.”

The Japanese councilors looked at each other before sitting back down, one clearing her throat before pulling up her screen again.

Euphemia followed suit, quickly sending off the two sets of documents to her sister in the administrative building. Cornelia would be annoyed at her actions, but Euphemia didn’t care. That was another thing that they could sort out later. She paused to send a quick message to Lelouch -  _‘Councilor_ _Stafford_ _taken care of. No raid needed.’_  – before turning her attention to the important matters at hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by ideclaresurrenderpendence’s head canon where Suzaku knew Lelouch was Zero so he tried to make him quit by guilt tripping him into attending his classes.

Suzaku stared at the numbers in the equation, willing them to make sense. It was the first assignment in his growing pile and he wanted to get his homework done before he was called out to something else. It seemed like it had been forever since he’d had the time to hang out with his friends or spend time with Lelouch and Nunnally. He couldn’t remember the last time he had spent with Euphemia outside of his duties.

He sat back and rubbed at his eyes, looking over at the rest of the student council. Nina had her head buried in her latest project, as usual. Suzaku watched the numbers dance across the computer screen before shaking his head. He’d given up trying to understand what Nina did and he was sure that she would never explain it to him. She tended to shy away whenever he got too close to her. He shifted in his seat and looked at the others at the table.

Rivalz looked like he had fallen asleep. He was slumped over the table, using his book as a pillow. Shirley looked like she was minutes away from joining him, her head nodding every few moments. Milly was bent over a stack of papers with a frown on her face. It was a pose of extreme concentration that Suzaku wasn’t used to seeing on her, and it was happening more often.

Aside from Milly, Nunnally was the only other person working on homework, her head bent over a book. Sometimes, Suzaku could see her lips move as she traced over the words, but it was usually followed by a shake of her head. Nunnally kept flipping one page back and forth, going over what looked like the same few sentences. Suzaku would have offered to help, but he doubted that he would have been much more help. Lelouch would be the better person for that.

He glanced over to where Lelouch was asleep in his chair, his neck tipped back at an awkward angle. If Suzaku didn’t think that any motion would wake Lelouch up, he would have reached out and fixed his friend’s posture. But, with everything that was going on, Lelouch needed his sleep. If the reports he had read were right, then the Black Knight’s raid had gone on until the early hours of the morning, meaning that Lelouch couldn’t have gotten back and gotten more than an hour’s rest. It was the same pattern from the rest of the week and the week before.

Besides, if Lelouch was asleep then he could actually get some homework done for once.

Suzaku gave Lelouch one more glance, absently tapping his pencil against his paper. The longer Lelouch slept or was held up at Ashford, the longer he could stay. And maybe, just maybe, staying in would become a habit instead of going out. Certainly time with his friends and his sister would be more important to Lelouch than being Zero, especially with what Euphemia was working on.

He shifted in his seat, wincing when the chair squeaked. Suzaku saw Lelouch jerk awake beside him, turning his head to be able to watch his friend.

Lelouch blinked sleepily for a moment before glancing at the clock. Suzaku heard Lelouch mutter a curse before his friend started packing up his things. The sound made Rivalz twitch and Shirley startle awake for a moment, but the two of them settled back to sleep easily. Milly and Nina didn’t look up from what they were doing while Nunnally looked relieved that she could stop reading.

“Lelouch?”

“It’s alright, Nunnally. I just realized that I was running late for something.”

Suzaku winced at the excuse, watching Nunnally’s face for any kind of realization. She had to know what her brother was doing. She knew Lelouch better than anyone.

Instead, Nunnally just sighed and sat back in her wheelchair. “Then you won’t be home for dinner?”

“No.” Lelouch paused, looking guilty. Suzaku was relieved for that. If Lelouch ever reached a point that he didn’t feel guilty for leaving his sister to continue his war of attrition against Britannia then Suzaku would know that his friend had gone too far.

Then again, Lelouch would have never let Nunnally down before. It was amazing what seven years had done.

Suzaku twisted to watch as Lelouch walked towards the door. He was tempted to reach out when Lelouch passed, but he kept his arm draped over the back of his seat.

Lelouch paused close by for a moment, giving Suzaku an apologetic smile before nodding over towards Nunnally. “Maybe Suzaku could stay? You two haven’t had time to talk in a while.”

Suzaku frowned, hating Lelouch for all that he was doing. If Lelouch was going out, then that meant that he was going to be leading the Black Knights on some kind of raid. With the way that things were going, Suzaku was sure that he would be called on to take care of the problem, which meant that he would have to leave Nunnally. She would understand, but Suzaku thought that she was understanding too much and not arguing enough.

He held Lelouch’s stare for a moment before giving a short shake of his head. Suzaku turned away, looking back over at Nunnally. “I don’t know. Work might need me.”

“Oh.” Nunnally traced her fingers over the braille, pretending to be reading. “Well, you’re an important person now. It’s alright.”

It wasn’t, but Suzaku couldn’t think of anything that he could say to Nunnally. He couldn’t tell her that Lelouch was Zero, not with the others there. Suzaku was sure that Lelouch wouldn’t hurt them. Then again, there were many things that he had been sure that Lelouch wouldn’t do. There was no telling what Lelouch would do now.

He shot an annoyed look at Lelouch, but he was sure that his friend didn’t see it. Lelouch was already hurrying out door. Suzaku sighed and slumped in his seat. He looked back over at his homework, staring at the page of problems.

He probably wouldn’t be able to finish it, which meant that he would be scrambling to do it when he got to Ashford in the morning, which meant detention and less time with Nunnally and Lelouch.

Suzaku dragged a hand down his face before giving in. He might as well get as much done as he could before he was called out to fight Lelouch. And then he would have to figure out something else to stay to Lelouch to get him to stay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A prompt request from virginiadre: May you write a Suzaku and C.C prompt post R2, or even during Zero Requiem if you like. We need more of their interactions! (romance or platonic, up to you) :-)

Suzaku paused in the middle of his downswing, raising an eyebrow when he saw C.C. standing in the path of his sword. He shifted his hold on the sword, holding it level with her for a moment before pulling it away to tuck into his scabbard. 

C.C. grinned at him, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “I now see what Lelouch sees in you, other than a pretty face.”

Suzaku huffed, too used to her teasing to rise to the bait. He drummed his fingers against the pommel of the sword before tipping his head to the side. “And what is that?”

“Sword control.”

Suzaku rolled his eyes, brushing his hands down the front of his uniform. He hadn’t been out practicing for long and he had barely broken out into a sweat. But Lelouch had seemed very insistent on the two of them looking a certain way. Their take over and manner of ruling had to look effortless, because it would make the people that Lelouch hadn’t geassed accept them faster. Legitimizing was the word that Leleouch had used, although Suzaku wasn’t sure how much of that was true. 

From what he could see, the Britannians didn’t care as long as it was a prince of the realm and their lives weren’t unduly interrupted. Still, anything to keep Lelouch happy just made his own life easier.

He froze when C.C. touched his shoulder. Suzaku looked at her before ducking his head so she could pat his hair into place, or out of place. He couldn’t tell and he didn’t think it mattered much in the end. 

He expected her to be quick about settling his hair into some kind of order, but she lingered over it. Suzaku shot her a confused look, C.C. raising her shoulder in a shrug. “His majesty is watching.”

Suzaku sighed. “His majesty should be asleep.”

“Ah, but when has he listened to lowly creatures such as us?”

Suzaku eyed her before shaking his head. “When have you been a lowly creature?”

C.C. laughed, dropping her hand out of his hair so she could up his cheek. “This is why you’re becoming my favorite.”

“Don’t tell Lelouch, he’d be insulted.”

She huffed and stepped away from him. “I think he could use a little insulting every once and a while, just to keep him from getting too full of himself.” 

Suzaku glanced up at the balcony above the garden, not surprised to see Lelouch leaning against the railing. The emperor had a book in hand, but it didn’t look like he’d been reading it. If anything, Lelouch was frowning down at them, probably trying to figure out what they were talking about. Suzaku was sure that it didn’t help when C.C. edged closer to him until their shoulders were touching. Suzake watched as Lelouch leaned a little bit further over the railing.

He was sure that Lelouch was trying to figure out what was going on between the two of them, and Suzaku was almost tempted to call him out on his paranoia later. Then again, Lelouch’s paranoia was one of the things that had kept them alive for so long.

He looked away from Lelouch when C.C. patted his shoulder. “You keep working with that sword. It might just be enough to keep him distracted.”

“Why?”

“Because, geassed or not, the staff doesn’t need him butting into everything that they do.” C.C. paused, giving him a shrug. “That and I want to sneak into the kitchen without him dogging my heels. I had quite my fill of him on the road.”

“And not of me?”

“You’re the quiet one. Lelouch likes a captive audience.

Suzaku chuckled, shaking his head. “That hasn’t changed a bit.”

“And yet you’re still here.”

“We were friends for seven years.”

“Ah yes, that will do it.” C.C. laughed and gave Lelouch a wave before walking off.

She crossed the open space in the garden before turning to look at him. She gave him a little wave. “Get to it. If you distract him long enough, I’ll give you a share of what I find.”

Suzaku smiled, pulling out his sword again. “Half.”

“Quarter.”

“Half.”

C.C. gave him a disgusted look. “Bargaining is half the fun, boy. You and Lelouch are the same in that.”

Suzaku shrugged and twisted to start another form. He paused halfway through the motion, giving her an expectant look. “I thought you would have figured that out by now.”

“I seem to remember that I was too busy arranging hide outs and food to worry about the endless arguments that the two of you were having.” C.C. gave him a long look before shaking her head. “Alright, half. But only because arguing with you will waste my time.”

Suzaku gave her a thankful nod before sliding back into the form, listening as she walked away into the garden.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of the Checkmate AU ([Part I](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/82798243191/checkmate-lelouchcc-week-day-2-static) \- [Part II](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231960/chapters/13423885)).

C.C. took her turn around the room, barely listening to what the girl beside her was talking about. She didn’t care what the girl had to say, she was only attending the gathering of the ladies in waiting because it was what she and her mother had agreed upon. She turned her head to look at her mother, watching as Marie Clarissant laughed and gossiped with Gabrielle la Britannia. She hummed to herself, using the sound to agree with whatever the girl was saying as she let her attention wander further.

For a gathering of all the royal consorts, everyone was on their best behavior. C.C. had expected something a bit more like what she had seen in court, all the jabs and petty insults that could be laughed off as jokes. She might have been missing all of that in her slow turn around the gardens with her partner, but it looked like the perfect picture of the royal court. If she had brought her camera, she could have taken pictures and sold them. Of course, her mother would have gotten angry at the suggestion.

They were trying to leave their base born past behind them, her mother was clear about that point. The Clarissant family was on the way up and they needed the help of the proper royal consorts and the nobility to do that.

C.C. sighed and looked over towards the consort with the least amount of women fluttering around her. The few women that were around Marianne vi Britannia looked like capable people, people that C.C. would have preferred to be with instead of the usual court ladies. She was sure that there were a few diamonds in the rough, but she had no patience for all their simpering and obvious vying for attention.

As if her companion realized the way that she was looking, the girl hurried her along. She led C.C. along the side of the garden party, the girl breathing out a sigh of relief and patting C.C’s arm. “It’s so nice to be able to just talk without having someone fawning over you. I swear, half of the young men at court are trying to chase me and the other half is trying to get up the nerve to talk to me. What about you?”

C.C. shrugged. “I discourage it.”

The girl laughed and slapped her arm. “Oh, I wish I could be like you. So secure in your standing. So brave.”

She rolled her eyes and gently pulled her arm away from the girl. She was calculating the amount of time that she would need to stay at the party before she could leave. Although, the fact that Marianne was at the party meant that she would have to reconfigure her plans. 

Surely standing among Lady Marianne’s women would be enough for her mother, no matter how much Marie hated Marianne. She could rise in standing just as quickly under Marianne as she could any of the other consorts, and probably faster considering the few number of women clustering around her. C.C. could only see Lady Ashford, Dame Fenette, their daughters and Princess Cornelia li Britannia around Marianne. Certainly that was enough of an opening that her mother would stay off of her back. Then, when she got bored of the careful niceties, she could wander off without much fuss.

C.C. stepped her away from her companion, ready to make a break for the safety of Lady Marianne’s retinue when she heard the girl give a gasp. Then the girl curtsied deeply. “Your highness.”

She turned, raising an eyebrow when she saw Prince Lelouch standing on the path. Her gaze darted to the ever present knight by the prince’s shoulder before looking at Lelouch himself. C.C. dripped into a belated curtsy, amused by the way that Lelouch’s gaze immediately skimmed her over.

If her mother was there, she would have faced a lecture for what she thought about doing, but there was only so much small talk that she could stand. “Will you be joining us, your highness?”

“No.”

“Good.” She pivoted so she was facing the direction that Lelouch was heading, holding out her arm for the prince. “Then you can escort me the hell out of here.”

Her companion gasped and the side of the knight’s mouth quirked up. Lelouch’s shocked expression was the best. C.C. doubted that he had ever been talked to like that outside of his own family or maybe his knight. She gave the knight another glance. The man seemed like a down to earth fellow, probably good for a royal prince.

She waggled her elbow, hoping that the prince would take the hint. When Lelouch didn’t do anything she sighed and looked back at the knight. “I believe that it’s only good manners for a man to escort a lady when she requests it.”

That got the knight to smile, C.C. amused by the way he leaned forward to speak to his prince. Her amusement vanished when the knight spoke in a different language, Lelouch snapping back a reply in the same language.

Lelouch glared at her for a moment before taking her arm and striding away. The change was so swift that she had to jog for a few steps to keep up with Lelouch. As soon as she settled down, she grinned back over her shoulder at her companion before allowing herself to be swept along.

C.C. waited for her and Lelouch to get away from the party before she took her arm back, rubbing at the place where Lelouch had rested his hand. “I suppose I should thank you.”

“It would be the polite thing to do, yes.”

“The polite thing to do would also walk slowly enough for your companion to keep up.”

“You demanded an escort from  _me_.”

“Can you blame me?” C.C. didn’t wait for an answer from him, giving the prince a curtsy and his knight a thankful nod. It still looked like the knight was trying his hardest not to laugh. It was nice to see one of the knights looking like a living person instead one of the wax figures in the historic forts of Britannia.

She turned on her heel and started walking away, feeling Lelouch’s gaze on her back. She was sure that there was interest there, something that she could poke into later. But that would be only if she had some interest in him.

Prince Lelouch wasn’t one of the public princes, not like Clovis or his half-sister Euphemia. Lelouch was always tucked away into some meeting or working in his office. What occupied his attention she didn’t know, and now she almost wanted to find out. Lelouch had reacted more naturally to her teasing than some of the other royals that she had meant. Most of them had been shocked and then hid it behind a smile, but Lelouch actually acted like more than enough court puppet, and that was amusing.

C.C. dared a quick look back over her shoulder, grinning when she saw that Lelouch was still staring at her. She gave him a knowing nod before lifting her skirts slightly and striding out. She would have to look into Lelouch more later, because he was sure to be looking into her. But that was something for another day. What she wanted to do more than anything was take off the stupid dress that her mother had foisted on her and change into her riding clothes. there was still a chance that Lady Marianne and her retinue would get tired of listening to the others gossip and go out for a ride. C.C. already knew all of their trails and it would be so easy to ‘accidentally’ run into them.

And, if Lelouch was interested enough, she might run into the prince again too.


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m not half as good at–at anything as I am when I'm doing it next to you.”   
– Tony Stark to Steve Rogers, _Avengers Prime_

* * *

 

Lelouch leaned against the door as soon as it shut, passing a hand over his eyes. He was sure that it was his imagination that the meetings were getting longer and less was getting done. All of his councilors were under his geass and they should have just automatically agreed with everything that he said. It still felt like it was an argument and it still felt like he was getting nowhere.

He rubbed his eyes before looking over his suite, sighing when he saw the piles of papers waiting for him. He had brought them there after Suzaku had chivied him out of the room for lunch, fully intending on coming back and starting on them. But then the minutia of running the empire had come back to him, leaving him no time to work on the future of the empire as he saw it. He could stay up late again, but the thought of sitting in his suite alone as the rest of the city went to bed suddenly wasn’t appealing. It was easier to face the idea of Zero Requiem in the daylight and in small batches. Then he could almost imagine that everything was years away instead of the few weeks that he had left.

Lelouch stared at the empty room, feeling loneliness press in around him before he turned on his heel and strode over to the door. His fingers stumbled over the code, Lelouch gritting his teeth as he worked it through two more times before he finally got it right.

The door slid open, Lelouch breathing a sigh of relief when he stepped into the next room. This room looked lived in when compared to his neat bed and desk piled high with papers. The cover of the bed was pulled back and wrapped around one person, the long hair laid out over the pillow giving her identity away. Lelouch stepped carefully through the bed room, giving C.C. a wide berth. The woman had returned to their private rooms long before Lelouch had, and she had looked ready to collapse. It would be better to let her sleep, especially since the two of them would have to go through it all again.

He picked his way through the room, freezing when he saw that the doors to the balcony were open. Lelouch muttered a curse under his breath and rushed over. 

It was impossible to find a set of rooms that didn’t have windows or a way outside. It had been the creation of some Britannian noble that had been trying to combine Britannian and Japanese architecture with little success. The house had far too many balconies or tasteful hanging gardens. It didn’t matter that half of the guards in the place were geassed to be loyal to him, there were plenty of things that Lelouch couldn’t control and he was waiting for one of those many things to go wrong.

Lelouch stepped out onto the balcony, sighing when he saw Suzaku standing there. His knight was braced against the railing, his head tipped back. The only sign that Suzaku had heard him was the slight tip of his head.

He bristled at the way that Suzaku ignored him, stepping up beside his friend. That got Suzaku to turn his head, Lelouch thrown off by the lazy smile that Suzaku gave him.

“You going to lecture me?”

Lelouch wanted to nod, but he found himself sighing instead. He leaned forward to rest against the railing to stare down into the garden. It was a tangled mess because of neglect, and Lelouch didn’t have the time to look after it. That was something that Nunnally would have enjoyed, but he couldn’t show that kind of favoritism. His sister would have to stay locked up with the rest of them.

He turned his head to look at Suzaku, glad that his knight was looking back at him. “I don’t think I can. I expected you to do something like this.”

“I’ve been cooped up for three days.”

“I know.” Lelouch picked at the edge of the railing.

He had expected the admission to ease something in him, but it didn’t. All it did was remind him that Suzaku hadn’t been at his customary place by his side for the past three days. He wasn’t so far gone that he was counting the seconds, but he felt the loss keenly, and Lelouch was sure that it showed. For the moment, it was enough to act like he was just mourning his knight as they expected. But it was more than that, there was an ache every time he realized that Lelouch realized that Suzaku wasn’t there.

Lelouch relaxed as Suzaku smoothed a hand over his back. Suzaku leaned against him for a moment before turning and bracing his hip against the railing. “I noticed that pile of work in your room. You’ve been slacking off.”

“You’re not there to bug me.”

“I thought you could work on your own.”

“Yes.” Lelouch glanced back towards the windows of his room. The stacks of paper were waiting for him at the moment, but Lelouch couldn’t bring himself to go back to that loneliness.

Suzaku couldn’t come into his room, not when that was the one place that everyone knew where to find him. It was easier for him to slip into the side room and work and then come out when he was needed. That meant that he spent less time doing the work that he needed to do, and more time where he wanted to be. If anyone knew why then Lelouch was sure that they wouldn’t have blamed him. He only had a short time to live, and he wanted to do something other than paperwork that was about the end of his life.

He looked back up at Suzaku. “But I don’t want to.”

Suzaku smiled and dragged his hand up Lelouch’s back. His hand lingered in Lelouch’s hair for a moment before it lifted away. The touch was enough, Lelouch finding himself relaxing a bit more. Suzaku leaned over the railing, making sure that their shoulders were touching even as they stared out into the ruined garden below.


	7. Chapter 7

Coming home was strange.

C.C. stared at what had used to be her village from the road. She had fled the day after Sister Marie had given her the code, mostly out of fear of what the rest of the village would do. Sister Marie had been beloved by everyone, and she had been the one to kill her. C.C. remembered spending that first night out on the road, waiting for the villagers to catch up with her

She should have been thinking about what would happen once she got out of her village and people started to notice that she wasn’t like the others. That she didn’t die.

She reached up to rub her short hair, feeling for any brittle strands. It was growing back nicely after the attempt to burn her at the stake, but C.C. knew that she looked strange. But, she looked completely different from before, which made returning to her village safer. One hundred years had passed, certainly it had to be safe for her to go back.

C.C. squared her shoulders and walked toward the village, frowning when she realized that village was the wrong word. The place where she had gained her freedom had become a bustling town. She slid into the flow of people, following the rush as they headed towards what had to be the main square.

She turned her head to look at where the main square had been, sighing when she saw that the place had been built over. She had almost expected as much, but the sheer amount of growth was what stunned her. She had held the image of her old home close to her heart, but it looked like it would be the only place that it survived.

C.C. hitched her small bag further up her back, keeping an eye out for pickpockets as she moved through the town. It had been a good idea to return to her home, there certainly was no open left that remembered the small girl who had trailed along behind Sister Marie. The girl that all of them had loved so dearly.

That girl was just as dead as the old village.

C.C. sighed and ducked her head, turning abruptly to get away from the main thoroughfares. The old village square might have been built over, but she was sure one building would remain. She couldn’t imagine any of them tearing down the church.

She wound her way through the streets, keeping her head down. It was easier just to slip into the noise of the town and not interact. She had learned that much from her hundred years roaming Europe. The longer she stayed in the background, the safer she would be.

She could walk the streets of the village, but she could never really come home.


	8. Chapter 8

They say your home  
is where your heart is  
but what if my heart  
is 6 feet underground/with you?   
-  _GONE, GONE, GONE._ || K.A.

* * *

 

Cornelia stared at the map that she had gotten of the Chinese Federation, her fingers moving between the pins that she had stuck in cities. She automatically calculated the distances, having to quickly increase them. 

She no longer had her Knightmare, the Gloucester had broken down weeks ago and was far beyond her repair. The best she could do was sell the scraps off and hope that they weren’t used for any of the rebellions that were going on. That might have been a forgone hope considering what little news she could get while constantly on the move.

She dropped her hand back down to her side, drumming her fingers against her leg as she considered her next move.

Everything seemed to be moving towards a singular town at the edge of a desert. Cornelia peered at the map before giving up trying to make it out. The map had been abused in her travels; folded, torn and soaked as she had trudged all through the Chinese Federation. She could buy another one, but she didn’t want to waste what money she had. Her father certainly wouldn’t give her anything else, not even if Euphemia had been one of his favorites.

She curled her fingers into a fist, resisting the urge to put her fist through the wall. She already had one arm in a sling, she needed the other arm just in case there was fighting to do and she hoped there was.

There were only a few things on her list to do to avenge Euphemia. One was to find the source of the power that had twisted her mind so completely. Once that was done, she would turn on Zero and make him pay, her half-brother or not. She didn’t care why he had done it, she just wanted to make him pay for what he had done.

Cornelia hadn’t expected the first part to take so long, but she wasn’t rash enough to go rushing in, especially when she didn’t have her knights by her side. She was the only one who could get revenge for Euphemia, so she couldn’t be stupid with her own life.

Carefully, she uncurled her fist. She took a deep breath and focused back on the map. Her knowledge of what she would find after the town on the edge of the desert was scarce, but she was sure that she could talk to the people in the town. People might have been reluctant to talk about the mysterious order that she was chasing but they dropped enough hints that she could get along well enough.

The frustratingly slow pace was only mitigated by the fact that she knew exactly where she could find Lelouch. He would be back in Area 11, continuing his rebellion. She had heard that Zero was back, which would make finding Lelouch easier. All she would have to do was find the Ashfords. The family had been loyal to Marianne, to a fault. That was half of the reason they had had to flee from Britannia once Marianne had been killed. The fall of the family was unfortunate, but at least it would help her locate her next target.

The Ashfords would think nothing of it. She had been part of Marianne’s guard and she had been nothing but vocal in her support of the late consort Marianne. They would let her get close to Lelouch.

What she would do after that she was less clear on. She knew that Lelouch was Zero, and that Zero had been the one to kill Euphemia. Why he had done it confused her. Euphemia had done nothing wrong to him and Cornelia had thought that Euphemia had been as dear to him as Nunnally was. It was something that she couldn’t wrap her head around. Cornelia could only hope that the cult would provide her with those answers too. If not, then she was sure that she would have to live with the question for the rest of her life, because someone had to pay for Euphemia’s death.

Cornelia sighed and took a step back. She reached up to rub at her eyes, trying to clear them. It had been a long day on the move and then compiling her information. All she wanted to do was curl up and sleep, but the need to find the order before they disappeared like the rumors she had been chasing was too great. She just wanted to do this, avenge the death of her sister and then go back to the familiar. She wanted to go back to her knights where she would have someone watching her back, where she could get someone to look at her arm. She had just been putting it into a sling and keeping it still in the hopes that it would heal by itself, but her shoulder kept aching.

She rolled it slightly, stopping with a hiss when the ache because a sharp pain. Cornelia relaxed it carefully, giving the map one last look before stumbling back over to the small bed she had made up for herself.

Sleep was the one thing that she could allow herself to do, because she had to be at the top of her game. If she didn’t, then she would end up like Euphemia, and she wasn’t ready for that.

She just had to survive for a few months longer to work out her anger. After that, everything was up in the air. She hadn’t thought much about what she would do after, because the task had always loomed large. But maybe, once she was done, everything would become clear.

Cornelia could only hope that it was the case, because she was tired of trudging around the world chasing ghosts.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of my [daemon AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/336302/chapters/543803).

Suzaku lifted his hand from Kasumi’s head, shaking out his fingers. He watched her grey and white hair drift down onto the concrete floor, joining the pile that he had growing. Suzaku stared at it for a moment before scooting the pile away from him. The worst of the clumps were already strewn across the floor with the rest of the hair that he had combed out of her earlier. Suzaku was sure that he had gotten most of the clumps of dried blood out by the first rotation of guards. It had almost been worth the hard work to see the fear in the guard’s eyes and the way that their dog daemons had growled.

Kasumi had growled back with no compunction, because she had bested them before. He could still feel her confidence, and Suzaku couldn’t bring himself to talk her out of it. They had managed to defeat Knights of St. Michael on foot and in the Knightmare. He hadn’t been able to get Kasumi into the Lancelot, but she had fought well on her own and against dogs that were bigger than her with minimal wounds. Suzaku wasn’t sure if it was the geass that Lelouch had put on them, but he wasn’t going to argue with it when it had kept Kasumi safe and sound.

He was almost ashamed that he was glad for the geass. It was a horrible curse, the same thing that had been used to drive Euphemia out of her mind. But it had helped him against Lelouch when he had first gone to take the man down, which had gotten him his position in the Rounds. And it had kept Kasumi safe when Shin had threatened their mission. It had been a relief to know that he could move without worrying that Kasumi would be shot down because he had to fight.

Suzaku turned to stroke Kasumi’s head again, going to guide his daemon’s head onto his lap when Kasumi whined and pricked her ears. She glanced up at him before standing up. He watched as she stood with her head cocked. Suzaku was about to ask her if she heard the guards coming when she turned her head towards Lelouch. The Shikoku kept staring at the prince, her ears twitching.

He sighed and turned to look at Lelouch, watching as the man’s lips moved. Lelouch was probably just fighting off the geass again, which meant that he would have to listen to the repeat of that one summer again.

He curled his hands into a fist, taking a few deep breaths before getting to his feet. “Leave him.”

“But what if he needs our help?”

“Then he can ask.”

“You know he can’t!” Kasumi glared at him, Suzaku trying to remain strong against her glare. The Shikoku lost her patience first, huffing and trotting over to the other bench in the center of the room.

She jumped up onto the bench, careful of the pitcher of water that had been left for them. Kasumi curled up on one side, her gaze locked on where Lelouch stared off into the distance, Verisia draped over his shoulder.

He was stroking his daemon with a vague smile on his face, the both of them so far gone that Suzaku doubted that they realized that they were in a cell. Suzaku would have welcomed that over the rage that Julius Kingsley would have had, save for the fact that Lelouch would not stop talking about that one summer, and Suzaku didn’t want to remember it.

He didn’t want to remember the time he had spent with Lelouch, the few months that they had actually been friends before everything had gone wrong. He didn’t want to remember the way that Kasumi had sttleded into a Shikoku dog and it had felt right because it was what he had seen with the other soldiers and what they needed to get through the war torn Japanese countryside. He didn’t want to remember how Lelouch had smiled and been so happy to see the two of them again seven years later.

Suzaku turned around to stare out into the corridor, trying to peer through the small opening in the door. What he needed to be doing was figuring out a way out. The emperor had given them a mission to secure the Euro-Britannian support for the war instead of allowing them to choose their own side. Charles hadn’t told him how important it was, but Suzaku could guess. The Euro-Britannian states could hold this front and the Britannians could push in. The war could be won with the minimum amount of lives lost.

He rested his head against the door, taking a few deep breaths as he felt Kasumi’s distress wash over him. “Don’t…”

He heard Kasumi whine, but the sound was partially drowned out as Lelouch coughed. Suzaku wanted to ignore the sound, but Lelouch coughed again.

“Suzaku…”

Suzaku gritted his teeth but turned around.

Lelouch wasn’t looking at him or Kasumi, but he looked more distressed than he had before. The hand that wasn’t touching Verisia was twitching on his lap, like he was looking for something. Lelouch shook his head, his head moving but his eyes not following the motion. “Suzaku, I need…it’s so…”

Kasumi whined and scooted closer to the edge of the bench. “What do you need Lelouch?”

Suzaku made an annoyed sound and went to motion for Kasumi to be quiet. He stopped himself halfway through the motion, giving up at the determined look on his daemon’s face. She wouldn’t stop because she still had her weird attachment to Lelouch and Verisia. It was on the tip of his tongue to remind her what the two had done to Euphy and Shaia, but it wouldn’t help either of them. It would hurt no matter who he reminded, and probably make Kasumi spend the next few hours at the farthest point of the cell from him.

He leaned back against the wall, watching as Lelouch tried to work through the word before coughing again. Verisia stirred for the first time, turning her head to press her nose against his cheek, but the red fox didn’t look like she knew what she was doing any more than Lelouch seemed to realize his daemon was trying to comfort him. Lelouch’s fingers tightened in her fur before his hand dropped down to his lap. “Suzaku…water…”

Suzaku rolled his eyes but walked forward. Kasumi was already nosing at the carafe that had been left to them. Suzaku stared at the carafe, his fingers tracing over the design.

It was a simple enough jug, but something that Suzaku hadn’t expected to be given to prisoners. Maybe it had been in deference to Lelouch’s status, which sounded like something that Shin would do to taunt them. He was holding a Britannian royal prince captive and he seemed to enjoy rubbing it in their faces. It made Suzaku want to see the look on Shin’s face when he realized that he had managed to snatch the prince and the knight that the emperor cared the least about.

He shook his head and poured the glass of water, meeting Kasumi’s gaze for a moment. She was staring at him entreatingly, like she expected him to do something. Suzaku couldn’t figure out what she expected him to do, especially since the two of them had patrolled the cell earlier. Unless the two of them took on the guards, they wouldn’t be getting out. Even then he would have to haul Lelouch through the palace, so he wouldn’t be able to fight. Kasumi would be just as hampered with Verisia.

Kasumi looked away quickly, going back to her careful study of Lelouch and Verisia. Suzaku pointedly ignored the curl of her worry in his gut, turning on his heel and walking over to where Lelouch was reaching for him.

He avoided Lelouch’s hands, pressing the glass against the prince’s hands. Lelouch did the rest, wrapping his fingers around the glass and going back to staring out into the distance.

Suzaku sighed, intending to walk away when Lelouch looked away from the wall of the cell and smiled at him. His blood ran cold at the warm expression, his hands shaking before he clenched them into fists. He shook his head when Lelouch opened his mouth, like the small motion could stop him.

“Suzaku, do you-”

Something in him snapped, Suzaku stepping forward and wrapping his fingers around Lelouch’s throat. The touch made Lelouch jolt, Verisia tumbling from his shoulders. Suzaku shivered at the brief brush of her fur against his fingers, but he ignored the spark, he was too busy staring at Lelouch’s face to see if the prince gave any indication of knowing what was going on. When nothing happened, Suzaku tightened his hold.

He wanted Lelouch to be quiet, to stop bringing up a past where the two of them had been happy. He wanted to be able to look across the cell and not feel guilty for being there. He had betrayed Lelouch for his position, but Lelouch had betrayed him first. The anger at Euphy’s death was still boiling under his skin, and he hadn’t gotten the chance to get it out because he had been thinking of the future in a more concrete way, and he regretted it. Now that he had his position he could kill Lelouch without impunity, everyone would assume it was Shin’s Euro-Britannian forces.

Most of all, he could stop the constant reminder of a time that he had enjoyed.

He dug his fingers into Lelouch’s skin, squeezing as hard as he could while Lelouch choked and sputtered. There was a strange sense of glee that came with having Lelouch at his mercy, especially after the year he had spent being moved around like a chess piece.

Suzaku didn’t have long to enjoy the feeling before something slammed into his side. He staggered, letting go of Lelouch as he turned to look at his daemon.

Kasumi had planted herself between him and Lelouch, her lips peeled back in a snarl. Her fur bristled as he stepped forward, her snarl growing louder. “Don’t touch him!”

Suzaku glared at his daemon before taking a step forward. He expected her to keep warning him off or start trying to explain why they still needed him.

Instead, she launched herself at him, knocking the two of them to the ground.

Suzaku scrambled for her scruff, trying to get a hold of her as Kasumi turned and twisted. She slipped from his grip, turning in a tight circle on his chest before clamping her teeth down on his arm. Suzaku shouted in pain, hearing her yelp as well. Her foreleg jerked up, Kasumi holding it up even as she bit down harder on his arm.

He reached for a hold on her scruff, trying to pull the Shikoku from him only for Kasumi to dig her claws in and refuse to move. Suzaku threw his weight from side to side, trying to roll the two of them so he could wrestle Kasumi from him. “They killed Euphy! Do you remember that? They lied to us as they killed her!”

Kasumi just growled in response, hunkered down on his chest as he continued to squirm. Suzaku gritted his teeth and wrapped his arm around his daemon.

He was about to throw Kasumi away from him, when he heard the click of claws on the floor. He turned his head, not surprised to see Verisia approaching him. The red fox was probably coming to make sure that he didn’t hurt Lelouch again. Suzaku shifted slightly so the fox’s jump would land him on Kasumi. Maybe the shock of being attacked would get Kasumi off of him.

Verisia swayed in place, looking between the two of them before sitting on the ground. “Suzaku, kill us. Please.”

Suzaku froze, feeling Kasumi give up her hold a fraction. He should take advantage of her distraction and throw her off, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not when Verisia was really looking at him for the first time in what felt like weeks. He swallowed and shook his head, looking up at where Lelouch was still sitting slumped over.

Lelouch didn’t say anything, but he head was turned just enough that he could meet Suzaku’s gaze. Under the force of that, Suzkau could do nothing more than shake his head.

He heard one of them sigh, unable to tell who it was and then, just as quickly as they were there, they were both gone again.

Verisia blinked slowly before ambling back to Lelouch’s feet. She tipped her head back to look at him before curling up on his feet. Lelouch didn’t even seem to notice his daemon had moved, his hands still in his lap.

Suzaku stared at the two of them before shoving Kasumi off of him, not caring that her teeth tore out a portion of his skin. He just had to get away from the two of them. He stumbled to the far side of the cell, using the solid wall to steady himself as he panted for breath. He was vaguely aware of blood dripping down from his arm, but it didn’t mean much compared to the horrible conclusion that he was drawing.

He had been one step from becoming like Lelouch, and he had enjoyed it.

Suzaku slid down the wall, curling into a ball as soon as he hit the floor. He pressed his forehead against his knees, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suzaku - Kasumi – [Shikoku Dog](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Shikoku_dog.jpg)  
> Lelouch - Verisia – [Red Fox](http://knowledgebase.lookseek.com/images/animals/NAMammals/Red-Fox.jpg)  
> Euphemia - Shaia - [Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Luzon.bleeding.heart.dove.arp.jpg)


	10. Chapter 10

“Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” - _Bhagavad Gita_

* * *

 

Nina stared at the list of names that scrolled past her on the screen, some part of her hoping that it would eventually repeat instead of going on. But it kept going, new names cropping up as the reports of the destroyed streets came in. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew why the list was being updated in chunks instead of single names going in. The street wouldn’t exist anymore, nor would the bodies.

She gripped the sides of her station, aware of the way that her breath was coming out in harsh pants. She had to calm down because it would get caught in her throat and then she wouldn’t be able to breathe. But there were just so many names.

She had always known that the FLIEJA was a weapon, that’s what she had designed it as. It was an expression in her grief at the death of Princess Euphemia and the one thing she had to use against the people who had taken away her inspiration. She had wrapped up uranium and sakuradite in a frail shell and named it after a god, because it had seemed fitting.

The first hadn’t worked, but the second one had. As had the third and fourth, and every one after it. They had been perfected in a lab and then sent off to be tested on a bomb range, an empty bomb range. Somehow she had forgotten that because they had put materials in the blast radius to see what reactions they would get. What would splinter, what would shatter and what would melt.

Her team had been there as well. She had never considered the tests as empty because she’d always had a room of people watching the only expression of love and devotion for Princess Euphemia that she had managed, because that’s how she was. She was too broken to show her affection in another other than complex formulas and chains of elements.

There had always been people, but they had always been kept safe. And it had always felt glorious to watch the plume of smoke rise to the heavens, like an old fashioned smoke offering to the gods. In some of her weaker moments Nina had hoped that it would rise up to where Princess Euphemia was. It was her tribute to the kind princess, a show that she had become strong for her and for all the Britannians that Princess Euphemia had tried to protect. It had been a wonderful catharsis back in Pendragon, but she had been wrong about all of it.

Somehow she had forgotten that the FLEIJA was a weapon at the end of the day, something made to kill. And she had made it do the job beautifully.

Nina turned her gaze away from the list, not wanting to see the names that were coming up in the hundreds. The loop of data on the bomb wasn’t a much better distraction.

She watched as the plume of smoke rose up over the Tokyo Settlement over and over, and cursed her own naivety.

There was no way that Princess Euphemia would have looked down on what she was doing and been proud. She would have seen the destruction and the loss of life immediately. She would have looked at the thing that Nina had built out of love and only seen horror, as was only right.

Nina collapsed onto her knees, fumbling for a deity to pray to, but she could only think of Princess Euphemia and she was sure that the beautiful, kind princess would only turn away from someone who had created such death. She turned her gaze to the continuing rolling list of names, muttering them under her breath in a prayer, hoping that any greater power that heard would understand.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the single parent AU ([Part I](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/93827948784/46-or-50-or-both-suzalulu-please) \- [Part II](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231960/chapters/13143376)).

Alexandra squirmed by her nanny’s side, angrily tugging at some of the ribbons on her dress. Lelouch sighed as he watched his daughter out of the corner of his eye. Alexandra’s nanny had told her off enough times to leave her dress be, but it looked like the girl wasn’t in the mood for listening. It was a mood that C.C. and Nunnally insisted came from him, but Lelouch wasn’t sure. Alexandra’s mother had been headstrong, it was part of the reason that she had been able to push through a divorce to a prince of Britannia so quickly.

Lelouch smoothed his hands down the sides of his jacket before turning to look at his daughter. That she didn’t stop fidgeting showed how much he had fallen as an object of awe. With the adjustments he had made to his schedule he was practically always around, which was probably a first for a royal prince or princess of Britannia. Lelouch distinctly remembered seeing his father from afar and he was sure that he could ask around the rest of his siblings and get the same answer.

He held his hand for his daughter, relieved when Alexandra immediately darted over to his side. He looked over at her nanny, giving the woman a smile and a nod. “Thank you, Shirley.”

Shirley gave him one of her bright smiles in return. “I’ll see you after the ceremony?”

“I think I might let her run around the reception, but only if she’s good.” Lelouch looked down at his daughter, fully expecting the innocent look on her face. “There’s no reason you can’t enjoy yourself too. How long has it been since you’ve been able to go to one of these events?”

“A while, but I don’t mind. It gives me time to work on my studies.”

Lelouch hummed, kneeling down to fix one of the bows on Alexandra’s dress. “How long do you have left?”

“This is my last semester.” Shirley looked proud of herself, as well that she should. It was practically a full time job to keep up with Alexandra, even with his group of guards lending her a hand. Considering how well liked Shirley was with his retinue, Lelouch was sure that some of his guards were picking up the slack without being asked. He didn’t mind, it just meant that Alexandra and Shirley were well guarded at all times.

He finished up with the bow, looking at his awkward attempt before sighing. He held up a hand to keep Shirley from fixing it, Alexandra would have it out in a matter of minutes. Lelouch could only hope that standing on the dais with him with so many people watching would shock her into stillness.

He turned his attention back to Shirley. “We’ll be there for your graduation.”

Shirley nodded. “Thank you, your highness. I’ll leave the date with Mary.”

Lelouch watched her walk off to her rooms, liking the confident set to her shoulders. Shirley had spent her first few months as Alexandra’s nanny tip-toeing around the palace, in awe of everything that was going on around her. Lelouch was sure that some of the mystique and wonder of the royalty had run out about the same time that he’d been shuffling around his suite, trying to do his work while pushing through a flu. It was hard to remain in awe of a prince when he was wrapped up in a robe with a trashcan of tissues overflowing beside him.

His attention was called back to his daughter as she pulled on his hand, Lelouch looking down at Alexandra with a smile before taking her hand in his own. “Come on. We can’t be late.”

Alexandra hummed, but skipped happily along beside him as they walked out of the suite. The guards that had been waiting outside of the door fell in behind him, Lelouch aware that Alexandra turned to wave at them. He was just as sure that the two of them waved back.

His daughter looked back at them for a long time before turning forward again. “Where’s Suzaku?”

“He’ll meet us there.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m making him my knight.”

“Oh. I thought you already did that.”

“There’s a whole ceremony.”

“Like a wedding?”

Lelouch could just imagine the look that C.C. would have given him, the one that said she was a few moments away from laughing at him. “No, not like that.”

“But grandmother was a knight, and she got married to grandfather.”

“It doesn’t always work like that.”

“Aunt Cornelia is marrying Uncle Guilford and I asked Uncle Schneizel if he had a knight, but he said that he was already married…but I have to keep that a secret.”

Lelouch glanced down at his daughter, tempted to ask exactly how she had gotten that information about Schneizel, but he decided not to push. Schneizel’s business was a complex tangle of affairs that boggled even his mind sometimes. But Lelouch wasn’t surprised to hear that Schneizel was already married. He’d had some suspicions about Kanon for a while now.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing like that. I’m just making him a knight, which means that he’s in charge of all the guards and that he’ll go everywhere with us now.”

Alexandra looked serious for a moment, Lelouch sure that she was trying to work out the difference. It would probably be hard considering that Lelouch had made a point to take Suzaku with them everywhere before. All of the guards were good about looking after Alexandra, but Suzaku seemed to always pay special attention to her. Better yet, Alexandra seemed to like him, which was the major reason that Lelouch had chosen him no matter what C.C. said.

He picked up his pace a fraction, glad when Alexandra went back to skipping by his side instead of asking him questions. Alexandra’s mind seemed to jump to the strangest questions, ones that he was never prepared for. C.C. always seemed to be ready for them though. Lelouch made a mental note to ask the woman about how she seemed to know his daughter’s thought pattern so well, but that would be a conversation for another day. For now it was enough for him to focus on the knighting and then how to turn Alexandra loose on the reception afterward.


	12. Chapter 12

“I defy the stars;  
I defy Heaven and Hell.  
The laws of the universe say that the man I love is lost to me.  
I say:  
Watch me save him. ”   
—  _He saved me first, you know_ -[c.k](http://widowbitesandhearingaids.tumblr.com/)

* * *

 

Euphemia paced the gardens, trying to use the familiar paths and scents to calm herself down. She already knew the reports from Kyushu, she had been watching the entire thing as it played out. She knew exactly what had gone on and she knew that the two most important people in her world were safe.

Cornelia would be remaining in Kyushu to handle the prisoners and the start of the rebuilding, but Suzaku would be coming in soon. Euphemia had been counting down the minutes until she had forced herself to leave her office. Worrying there wouldn’t have brought him back faster, but neither would worrying in the gardens.

She slowed her pacing, looking at the other paths. The gardens were laid out like the ones at the Aries Villa, just similar enough that she could set herself on a path and walk without worrying about getting lost. Following the familiar paths would certainly help her calm down, but Euphemia didn’t want to be on the far side of the garden when the plane with Suzaku came in.

Euphemia turned on her heel and strode up towards the small folly that Clovis had put in the garden. That was the only difference to the gardens at the administrative building and the Aries Villa. There had been plenty of follies scattered around the garden, but they had all been further away. Marianne had preferred the comfort of gazebos, places that were practical as well as pretty, but that hadn’t been Clovis’ aesthetic.

She stepped into the folly, craning her head back to look at the painting on the ceiling. She recognized Clovis’ style, like her half-brother would let anyone else work on a private project like this. She turned in place, reaching up one hand to where a boy rose on white wings towards the sun. She would never know why Clovis had chosen to paint Icarus, but she was glad that he had painted the boy triumphant instead of plummeting into the ocean.

Euphemia shook her head, sitting down on one of the benches. She carefully arranged herself so she would be able to see the Avalon the moment it descended.

She scanned what little bit of the sky she could see from her seat before silently chastising herself. She would get nowhere worrying herself into a frenzy, she just had to be patient. Besides, it gave her time to go over what she wanted to say as soon as Suzaku landed.

Euphemia tipped the pin that she held on her hand into her lap, staring at the delicate thing. The first thing she would do was give it back to Suzaku, because he had earned it a thousand times over. She understood that he had done horrible things in the past, but this was her giving him the chance to work on a better future. Suzaku had so much potential to do good, to help so many people. And watching him made her feel brave too, like she could do anything.

She traced over one of the wings before lifting the pin to press a kiss to the center.

She wanted to give Suzaku this chance, because he had given her so many in return. Because he was brave, selfless and would never give up. And, if he would stand by her side, she was sure that she could save Japan.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More from [Game of Thrones AU](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/77857777192/suzalulu-game-of-thrones-au-o) (not the one I keep writing for touchreceptors).

Schneizel rolled over, grumbling when he realized that the other side of his bed was unoccupied. He propped himself up onto his elbows, staring at the mess of pillows and the blanket before he rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling before sitting up to scan the room. 

It wasn’t the first time he had woken up alone in bed, but it never made it any better, especially since it was a rare thing for him to decide that a few candle marks in bed were more important than continuing to trudge through the problems of the country.

Sometimes he thought that it was Kanon’s version of revenge for all the times that Schneizel had rolled out of bed before the sun rose or when he didn’t come back to bed at all.

He reached over for his shirt, pulling it on over his head before even daring to slip out of bed. It would take a while for the old stone walls to warm up, which meant that his rooms would be cold until midday.

Schneizel tied off the strings at his throat, reaching up to rub at his eyes. He flicked the last of the sleep from his eyes before standing up. A quick stretch made his back pop, Schneizel groaning at the sound.

He had always heard that being Hand of the King aged men far beyond their years, but he hadn’t believed it. After all, it just took a quick mind and someone that was equally stubborn and crafty. It also took a pair of good eyes, an extensive spy network and the determination to sit in the horribly uncomfortable chairs in the library. Schneizel was almost sure that the current caretaker kept the chairs uncomfortable to make sure no one would visit and look through his precious books.

He reached around to rub at his lower back, looking around the room. It didn’t take long to find where Kanon was, his lover sitting at his desk.

Kanon had taken the cape that Schneizel had worn for the emperor’s birthday the previous day, the embroidered snakes and lions sparkling in the sun that was coming through the windows. Schneizel tilted his head, smiling at the sight of Kanon completely covered by the cape. Teal looked good on him. Schneizel considered changing his own coat of arms before pushing the thought away. It was better if he didn’t act like he was completely besotted, it was safer that way.

He made his way across the room, bracing one hand on the chair that Kanon was sitting in. Kanon didn’t even jump, he just held up a small piece of paper. Kanon waved it when Schneizel didn’t take it immediately, keeping up the motion until Schneizel took the message scroll from him. “This was the thing that was so important earlier this morning.”

Schneizel frowned, trying to remember if he had heard someone knocking. He remembered some noise that he had pointedly ignored, because it was probably just another drunk noble trying to remember where their rooms were. Or worse, a drunk noble that had taken it into their head to try and talk to the Hand of the King before anyone else did. That must have been the point when Kanon had gotten out of bed, but Schneizel couldn’t remember if his lover had come back to bed after that.

He sighed and took the message scroll, unrolling it and staring at the tiny handwriting. From the handwriting and the cipher, it was from one of his spies on Essos, probably the one that he had sent when Jeremiah Gottwald had gotten himself exiled. Schneizel turned so he could tilt the scroll into the light, working through the cipher while Kanon went back to work on the other messages that they had gotten. Schneizel was tempted to tell him to leave until after breakfast when he got to the meat of the message.

Schneizel’s eyebrows rose as he read what was there.  _‘Khal dead. Khalassar gone to khaleesi. Prince and princess on the move. Victory rides with them.’_

He glanced down at Kanon, hating the knowing look that his lover gave him. Schneizel sighed and leaned his hip against the desk. He glanced over the message again before dropping it to the table.

He knew that Nunnally marrying the  _khal_  had been something that he couldn’t afford to ignore, but his intensive questioning had revealed that nothing was wrong with the marriage. It had been one that Nunnally had entered by herself and, according to all reports, the  _khal_  was completely in love with his Britannian bride. The words that Villetta had used had been  _‘disgustingly’_  and  _‘hopelessly’_ , so he had decided to leave it. Considering all the things that could have happened to his half-siblings after the fall from favor and death of Lady Marianne, Nunnally finding happiness was something that he could let happen. It had been ridiculously easy to convince the king’s council of the same thing. They were all sycophants anyway.

Now that the  _khal_  was dead, there was nothing to keep Nunnally and Lelouch over there. He knew for sure what Nunnally would do, which would be to bend to the cultural convention and return to Vaes Dothrak to join the council of wives in ruling it there. Schneizel knew for sure what Lelouch would do too, he would turn the  _khalassar_  right towards Britannia with nine years of rage behind him. It would take him a while, but he would come.

Schneizel rubbed his forehead, looking back down at Kanon. He fully expected the shrug that he got in return, Kanon sitting back in the chair. “Our move.”

“Yes.” Schneizel stared down at the tiny scrolls that were scattered over the desk. There were hundreds of things that called to his attention, but the Nunnally problem caught his attention.

Kanon hummed and reached up to hold Schneizel’s arm, his fingers curling lightly around it. “We could hold.”

“I’d have to convince them all that they’re not dangerous. And you know the rumors.”

Kanon laughed. “Dragons.”

Schneizel nodded. It was ludicrous to believe that, after hundreds of years, dragons had returned. None of his trusted spies were reporting dragons, but the rumor was everywhere. He closed his eyes, ordering what he needed to do.

The first thing would be to chase after the rumors of dragons. The sooner he could disprove them the better because that was half the fear gone. Then, he could work on what Lelouch was actually doing. If the  _khalassar_  was just carrying out their usual activities then it wasn’t a worry but, if Lelouch was moving against them, then he would have to find a way to separate Nunnally from her brother. 

Schneizel was willing to let Lelouch run himself into trouble, because Lelouch was old enough to know what he was getting into. Nunnally had never taken an interest in politics and she would probably just be following her brother. As long as he could separate the two of them, Nunnally would be safe.

He sighed and opened his eyes, looking down at Kanon. “We need to get to work.”

“I thought so.” Kanon stood up from the chair, absently grabbing the front of the cape to keep it from falling open. “I’ll get the responses out before looking for precedents.”

Schneizel leaned over to press a quick kiss to Kanon’s lips before sliding into his seat. “Dragons first.”

Kanon just tipped his head and walked over to the window seat that was his preferred perch. Schneizel allowed himself a moment to watch Kanon walk away in nothing but his cape before he shook his head and turned his attention to the problems of the empire.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of my Roman AU ([Part I](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231960/chapters/12181436) \- [Part II](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231960/chapters/12910054)).

There were times that Lelouch hoped that C.C. would never act like a good Roman matron was expected to. But there were slightly more times that he wished that she would act like all the women he had come in contact with him, quiet and somewhat awed, if only because it meant that he wouldn’t have to sit and know how foolish she thought him. That and, considering that she had been friend and on and off again lover of his mother, meant that she had seen him consistently at his worse where the rest of the population just thought him another child of the emperor.

He shot her another glance, watching as she pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, her eyes still wet with tears from the last time her laughter had gotten the better of whatever she had been trying to say to him. Lelouch sighed and made a broad gesture. “Go on. Tell me what you really think.”

C.C. moved her hand, her lips still tightly pressed together. Lelouch expected her to speak immediately, but she held up her hands. She took two more deep breaths before shaking her head. And, just like that, she was the perfect image of a woman in repose, save for the tears of mirth still in her eyes. “I think you are too much like your mother.”

Of all the things he had expected her to say, Lelouch had not expected that. He raised an eyebrow, his thin hope crushed when she spoke up again.

“That doesn’t mean you’re not the stupidest boy in the entire empire.” Lelouch slumped back on his couch, throwing an arm over his eyes as C.C. kept talking. “For one, you know nothing about this boy, just that he can kill people. That is  _not_  the way to build trust. Two, he doesn’t even speak our language. He speaks…where is he from?”

Lelouch shrugged, not bothering to move his arm. “He and the other one were picked up in a skirmish on the edges of the empire, where we trade with the east.”

“Oh, that’s three then. You have no idea where he’s from. And four, you now owe a favor to your father. I think I remember you saying something about  _never_  owing him anything.”

“You remember far too much.”

“I have to. How else am I supposed to survive?”

“Depending on favor like everyone else?”

“Your naivety was adorable ten years ago. It’s dangerously stupid now.”

“And that’s the second time you called me stupid.”

He heard C.C. move, guessing that the woman had shrugged. He sighed and let his arm fall away, preferring to stare up at the sky than over at C.C.

He didn’t want to explain his reasoning to her, not when it was still patchy himself. So far, he only had that it was within his rights as the emperor’s son. Of course, the easier way of acquiring slaves was to go to the market and choose from there or get them as gifts. Certainly that would be better than some half-feral man that he had gotten from the games, especially one that was supposed to have died.

Lelouch sighed and rolled to his side, looking at C.C. She was the one who had come with his mother when Charles had brought her from whatever far off country that he had found her in. She was the oldest confidant that he had, and the one that had proven that she was loyal to the two of them instead of the emperor. It was a dangerous position, and it was one that C.C. kept up effortlessly.

He raised one shoulder in a shrug, lifting one hand to adjust his toga. “I don’t have a reason.”

“Dangerous.”

“I know. I just felt like this was something I should do.”

C.C. hummed, Lelouch surprised by the fond look that she gave him. He scooted over on his couch when she got up and came over to sit on the edge of it. C.C. reached out to run her fingers through his hair, the comfort a familiar one. “Just be careful, Lelouch. I like having you around.”

“Do you?”

C.C. nodded. “Your mother would be beside herself if you got yourself killed.”

It was easy to read between the lines with that one, and it was something that he was used to doing. He nodded, and laid back on the couch, breaking contact with her hand.

C.C. gave him one last searching look before getting up and walking back into the palace complex. He was sure that she was going to speak to his mother and there would be another discussion about the danger that he was getting himself into. He would have less success deflecting his mother’s worry, but he was sure that C.C. was at least nominally on his side. That was certainly better than the two of them against him.

Maybe it would be better to call the boy in and at least get something done. A few phrases couldn’t go wrong, not when he was convincing his mother of the viability of the project. Nothing inspired confidence more than progress and the promise of more to come.

Lelouch nodded to himself and rose from the couch. A few tugs straightened his toga back to its proper shape. He looped the end more securely on his arm before walking off in the direction of the slaves’ quarters in search of his prize.


	15. Chapter 15

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”   
– Song of Solomon 8:6

* * *

 

Lelouch met his gaze in the mirror, taking deep breaths before he lifted his chin up. He had to tilt his head slightly to see the mark on his neck. The ends of it disappeared under his jaw, but there more than enough for him to make out the shape. He sighed and turned his head from side to side, almost sure that if he moved a bit more it would disappear.

Slowly, he reached up to trace his fingers along the red mark, trying to pick out a way to make it feel real. The mark didn’t feel any different from his skin. Maybe there was a little more heat there, but it was negligible and Lelouch was sure that it was his mind making it up.

He pressed his fingers into the dip in the center, swallowing against the pressure.

Nothing felt different, but it changed everything.

He dropped his fingers away, ignoring how they were shaking. He felt his gaze in the mirror for a moment more before turning on his heel and stalking away.

What he wanted to do was tear through the palace until he found the door to the thought elevator. There had to be one in the palace considering what his father had said in the collective unconscious. Surely he could just storm back in, but Lelouch didn’t know what he would do afterward. He could appeal to the collective unconscious again, but Lelouch was almost afraid of what it would do. It wasn’t a god, but it had power and he didn’t want to press his luck.

He curled his fingers into a fist, pivoting on his heel to turn his forward motion into pacing. It was the only thing he could think of doing, especially with the way that everything had played out.

Lelouch was sure that C.C. knew, she had behaved differently around him the entire way back from Kamine Island. He was sure that she had caught him unraveling the scarf that he had taken to wearing. There had been enough knowing looks from her that Lelouch was sure that it wasn’t just a trick of him mind. Besides, it wasn’t C.C. that he was worried about, it was Suzaku.

He had promised Suzaku that he would live out his lie to the best of his abilities. He had promised Suzaku that he would make sure that Euphemia’s legacy as the Massacre Princess wouldn’t be remembered. He’d made plans back when he was still in denial about the mark of his neck.

It had been a good plan, a perfect plan, and it was all for nothing.

Lelouch slowed to a stop when he heard footsteps in the room. He stared at the wall for a moment before taking a deep breath and turning.

He fully expected Suzaku to be standing by the door, but he was relieved to see C.C. He didn’t want to take the effort to explain it to Suzaku, not when it had taken them weeks to get into the conversation about the geass. Not when Suzaku was still refusing to even listen to the plan after Lelouch had tried to explain it the first time.

His shoulders slumped, Lelouch swaying in place. C.C. must have understood, because she came over to him and rested her hands on his shoulders. Lelouch leaned into the touch, closing his eyes.

He felt fingers press against his jaw, Lelouch lifting his chin slightly so she could see the mark on his neck. He heard her hum just before she traced the symbol.

C.C. didn’t linger over it like he had, her fingers jerking away just as quickly. “Well then.”

Lelouch opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. He couldn’t read anything in her neutral expression but, somehow, that made it worse. He knew what she had wanted from him, and how much it had taken for her to agree with Zero Requiem. And, maybe, it had been because she had come to terms with what had happened long before he had.

He shook his head. “I wasn’t doing this to spite you.”

“Of course not. You’re not spiteful at all.” The quip was delivered with a sad smile, Lelouch almost laughing at it. C.C. squeezed his shoulders before letting go of him. “I believe you. You wouldn’t have accepted anything from your father.”

“I doubt he wanted to give it to me.”

“The collective unconscious moves in mysterious ways.”

“I still wish that they had asked me.”

C.C. laughed. “You practically demanded that it took care of your father. It gave something to you in return.”

Lelouch snorted, wanting to protest that it wasn’t fair, but he was sure that C.C. had a counter for that too. She knew the strange world and the unconscious far better than he did.

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask if there was a way to reverse it, but he already knew the answer to that. The only way out was to do what C.C. intended for him, he had to pass on the geass and hope that it matured enough for someone else to take his code. Lelouch was sure that he could delay his rule for that long, but the idea of giving someone else the power he knew so well made him hesitate. There was no chance that they would be loyal to him or that they would stay out of his way, save for if he offered the geass to Suzaku. But there was no way that Suzaku would take it, not after what had happened to Euphy.

He sighed and looked over at C.C. “So, what now?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, that’s up to you.”

“And if I don’t have an idea?”

“I thought you already had a plan.”

Lelouch shook his head. “It won’t work.”

“Who says it won’t?”

“Because I won’t die.”

C.C. stared at him for a long moment before crossing her arms over her chest. “Not physically, but you can always disappear. You’ll have to eventually, you might as well take advantage of this.”

Lelouch tried not to flinch, because she was right. If he was going to live forever then he was going to have to take precautions. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that, just because Charles and the Geass Cult hadn’t been able to manipulate the collective unconscious, no one else would try. He had no intention of ending up like C.C, which meant hiding out when he had to.

Somehow, that made the idea of Zero Requiem worse. Before, he had just had to die, which was a cleaner way to go. He wouldn’t have to spend years watching as everyone he knew and loved died. It was not an option that he had ever wanted to consider.

Lelouch shook his head, barely paying attention as C.C. walked over to the couch. He heard her grunt as she flopped back onto the couch, about to turn to focus on other things when she cleared her throat. Against his better judgment, he looked back at her, trying to keep his gaze from drifting up to her forehead. 

He had never been bothered by the code mark on her, but he hadn’t thought about it much. C.C. had kept it well hidden under her bangs for as long as he known her. He wouldn’t have the same luck, his mark wasn’t going to be so easily hidden.

He turned back towards the mirror, reaching up to touch the mark against when C.C. cleared her throat again. He looked up at her through the mirror.

She was lounging on the couch, the strange look of pity and anger still on her face, but it was an expression that he was getting used to. She held his gaze for a moment before she flopped back on the couch. “Have you told Suzaku?”

“No.”

“He’s going to suspect something eventually.”

Lelouch shook his head, knowing that the denial wouldn’t hold any weight. She was right, and it would be better for him to tell Suzaku just to avoid the fight. But he couldn’t do it, not after spending months hiding the code from the two of them. It was easier to keep up the lie, because it was what Suzaku would have preferred. It had to be.

He reached out to grab the scarf, ignoring the sigh he heard from C.C. Lelouch carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck, watching as the mark disappeared from sight.


	16. Chapter 16

One minute I held the key  
Next the walls were closed on me  
And I discovered that my castles stand  
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.  
- _Viva la Vida_ , Coldplay

* * *

 

Charles stared at the papers on his desk without really seeing them. He didn’t want to read over the reports on how the Geass Order was doing, not when confronted with the shocking evidence that he had been greeted with.

Half of the reason he had come to where the Geass Order was based was to check on its progress, but the other reason was to meet with the one person running it all. There were questions that he had needed his brother to answer, because they owed each other the truth. 

They had promised each other to never lie to each other as the war between the royal heirs had raged around them. It was the only way that the two of them could have survived and remained safe. It was a promise that he had depended on as he had risen to the throne because no one would look twice at a young boy in the place. His brother could go where Charles couldn’t, and he had relied heavily on that information.

He had relied on his brother for many things, and now he couldn’t.

Charles turned his head to look at the report sent to him, his fingers twitching above the keyboard. He didn’t have to open up the pictures to know what had happened, he had seen them all many times. The shock was gone, and so was the initial anger. He knew who had been behind it all, but he couldn’t understand why.

For the first few hours, he had been desperate to know why. That was why he had taken the longer way to the headquarters of the Geass Order instead of just walking through the thought elevator. He had needed the time to sort it out, to go through the excuses until things had made sense. Charles had never gotten to that point, because he couldn’t shift the facts into a form that suited him.

His brother hadn’t helped. V.V. had just given a rote answer with too much glee in his voice. Charles had thought that V.V. would have thought to hide any emotions, but his brother was too confident. Apparently, his brother couldn’t imagine a world where Charles wouldn’t take his word as the truth, even when he was lying through his teeth.

Charles shoved the papers further away from him, not caring that some of them had fallen off the desk. The papers didn’t matter in the face of the larger betrayal. After sixty years of an ironclad promise, his big brother had lied to him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on [this pictures by nagidawn](http://nagi-dawn.tumblr.com/post/141863422923/small-portion-of-a-huge-code-geass-doodle-page-im).

C.C. looked up from her lunch as Lelouch stopped mid sentence. There wasn’t much that could stop Lelouch in the middle of one of his tirades, especially when it was against Milly’s next celebration, save for news related to Nunnally. Even then, it was a close race considering that he had been going on about the latest scheme for the second attempt at the world’s greatest pizza.

She glanced over at Lelouch, surprised to find his mouth open as he watched a student walk past. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the student, humming to herself when she recognized Suzaku.

The Japanese student had caused a stir when he had first arrived on campus. There had been plenty of rumors about why the Japanese Prime Minister’s son would go to a Britannian school running the gauntlet between being put into the school for his safekeeping or because he had secretly murdered his father. C.C. didn’t care either way, not when just the sight of him could stop Lelouch mid rant.

She tipped her head to the side, amused by the bright blush that crossed Lelouch’s face when Suzaku smiled at them. She raised her hand to wave, surprised when Lelouch jerked her hand back down. C.C. looked at him, watching as Lelouch shook his head slightly. By the time that she looked back at Suzaku, someone else had already called his attention away.

C.C. leaned forward slightly to look at where Suzaku was heading, not surprised that one of the sports clubs had called them over. They were all trying to get Suzaku in their clubs, although he kept turning them down for some reason. C.C. had her own suspicions, but she wouldn’t allow herself to consider them until she had consulted the more steady people in the rumor mill. It wouldn’t be an exact reason, but it would at least get her closer to the truth than just making guesses herself.

Besides, she knew what a smile like that meant. It had brightened up Suzaku’s whole face and only when he was passing by them. It was easy enough to work through who Suzaku could have been smiling at.

Nunnally was too young, and C.C. was sure that Suzaku only knew of her because Nunnally was always around the campus. Suzaku would know her as well, C.C. had an overreaching reputation as a girl with a sharp tongue and no patience. There was no reason that Suzaku would be happy to see her, which only left Lelouch. And, by the way that Lelouch looked like he’d been poleaxed, she was sure that she was right.

She set her soda down on the ground, putting her lunch tray protectively in front of it. C.C. scooted closer to where Lelouch was sitting on the other end of the bench, turning her head so she was watching Suzaku get a quick rundown on touch football. “So…he’s cute.”

Lelouch made a noise that could have been agreement, C.C. having to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She cleared her throat, giving Lelouch a moment to realize what he had admitted before she elbowed him in the ribs. “Look at that smile.”

“Yeah…”

“You totally like him.”

That finally managed to startle Lelouch out of his staring. He shot her a wounded look, glancing over at his sister for support. Nunnally had her hands clamped over her mouth, her whole body shaking as she tried not the laugh.

C.C. gave Nunnally a nod before scooting back out of Lelouch’s reach. “You’re not denying it. That’s good as admitting it.”

“No!”

“Ah, then who were you smiling at.”

Lelouch opened his mouth to defend himself, but hastily shut it. He turned his attention back to his lunch, although he was only stabbing it with his fork.

C.C. didn’t bother to hide her chuckle, shaking her head at Lelouch. “It’s alright. I won’t tell.”

“Don’t you dare!” Lelouch looked panicked for a moment before he realized that he had shouted. He ducked his head, muttering something too low for C.C. to hear what he had said.

She watched him for a long moment before shrugging. She had gotten her answer, because there was no way that Lelouch could wave away all the clues that he had given her. He might watch himself more carefully around Suzaku, or he might forget himself. She would just have to watch him for either result, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t encourage him. Lelouch needed something else in his life other than studying, his sister and whatever scheme that Milly was putting forward.

She bent down to pick up her lunch. She picked up her slice of pizza, folding it primly in half as she watched Suzaku start his game. From the way that Lelouch shifted on his bench, he was watching too. She even felt Lelouch brush slightly up against her, probably trying to get a better view of the game. Suzaku had already discarded his jacket like most of the other students playing and it wasn’t rare for the guys and some of the girls to strip their shirts off. C.C. was sure that Lelouch would be unable to function at that point, which would leave her and Nunnally to haul Lelouch to his final classes of the day.

C.C. hummed to herself, the corner of her mouth twitching up when she saw that Suzaku was throwing glances back at the three of them. Lelouch was, predictably, too busy trying to look like he didn’t care. It was his loss, but even C.C. couldn’t let herself be that callous.

She nudged him with her elbow again, rolling her eyes when Lelouch jumped. She gestured out towards the field with her half eaten pizza. “I think you’re good.”

“Good?”

“In the Suzaku department. I’m pretty sure he likes you back.”

“Really?” There was a note of consideration, like Lelouch was filing that piece of information away.

C.C. rolled his eyes, sure that Lelouch would launch into one of his big plans. That might work for any of Milly’s celebrations or his study schedule, but it was sure to blow up in his face in regards to Suzaku. She would have to keep an eye on him, just to make sure that he got the proper nudges in the right direction. She might have cultivated an uncaring personality, but that was to keep most people away. Besides, she was fond of the boy, and there was no point in Lelouch being miserable. Not when she could do something about it.


	18. Chapter 18

He is a man like any other.   
The word of Kings command him,   
His heart does not obey.   
For all his strength and boldness,  
The knight’s spirit is too weak.   
His crime has no excuses,  
And no favours may he seek.   
The laws of Kings don’t bend and can’t be broken.  
- _The Trial of Lancelot_ , Heather Dale

* * *

 

Schneizel sat back on his throne, staring at the man kneeling in front of him. The man wasn’t shifting in his manacles, but it was obvious that he was impatient. Schneizel glanced over at the guards that were arrayed around the room, hearing Kanon shift behind him. He raised his hand to keep Kanon still, not wanting to cause a scene. 

It had been bad enough that Lelouch had been shouting while he had been judged, he didn’t want the same ruckus with the former emperor’s knight. He didn’t even want Lelouch to know that Suzaku was still alive until he figured out what to do with them.

He lowered his hand and pressed his fingers together, studying the knight that was kneeling on the floor. “Sir Kururugi.”

The form of address was apparently a surprise because Suzaku twitched. Schneizel raised an eyebrow, watching the man for a moment more before pushing on. “How are you holding up?”

The question caught Suzaku off guard too, the knight glancing up at him before ducking his head again. “Sore.”

“I’m not surprised. You fought valiantly and escaped death. Not many people can say that.”

Suzaku shrugged as best as he could, the motion slow and halting. It was obvious that he wasn’t going to answer unless he had to, not that Schneizel minded. It would make the initial interrogation easier. He wanted to get as much information about Lelouch’s plan from Suzaku before he had to judge the knight in front of his court.

If he could have it his way, he would leave Suzaku out of the whole affair. He had already made up his mind about Lelouch, especially in the face of what Lelouch had spewed out in his fury and everything he had found about their father. Besides, it would be hard to show himself to advantage beside Lelouch, especially when he had bombed Pendragon. Considering that Lelouch had let that information slip out, the whole of Britannia could be easily turned against him, especially since he had their precious emperor. It didn’t matter that they might had hated him in the weeks before, he had become their favorite once Pendragon had gone up in smoke.

He let his hands drop to the sides of the throne, resisting the urge to drum his fingers against the throne. The only thing that he had against Lelouch was that he was the only one that knew what had happened to Suzaku. If he could get something out of Suzaku that would let him win over Lelouch, then he might be able to rule Britannia peacefully, even with the Damocles crippled beyond use.

Schneizel sighed and shook his head. “I should thank you for the service you did for me. According to everything I can find out, you did exactly as you said you would, you killed the emperor for me. I would have held to my oath, you know. You would have been Knight of One.”

“I am the Knight of Zero.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Schneizel waiting for Suzaku to say anything else, but the knight remained stubbornly silent. He shook his head. “What did Lelouch offer you that made you change sides?”

He saw Suzaku’s jaw work, but he knight didn’t say anything. Schneizel hummed to himself, resisting the urge to get up and pace. As the emperor he couldn’t be seen doing that, and it was better to break the habit while he was alone. He had to sit on the throne and look undisturbed by everything.

Schneizel cleared his throat, hoping the sound would get Suzaku to speak, but he wasn’t surprised when it didn’t. He had known Suzaku to be stubborn, he had just hoped the disorientation of escaping from his exploding Knightmare and getting arrested would be enough to convince Suzaku to speak. Even letting Suzaku wait in the wings for Lelouch’s interview to finish had been a carefully planned. Anything to get the two of them to talk enough to save his tentative hold on the throne.

He might have won the battle, but it had been close. The Damocles was crippled and the Black Knights were all in prison, screaming about their double cross. Even the rescued UFN representatives were starting to ask about his actions before the battle and about where their enforcement troops had gone. Schneizel couldn’t even begin to imagine how Lelouch had intended to ride out the rest of his reign. From everything he had seen, it looked like it was going to blow up on him under a year and now it was Schneizel’s mess to sort out.

“Suzaku, I’m just trying to help people.” He thought he heard Suzaku laugh, not bothering to stop Kanon as his aide stepped forward.

Kanon only stepped down a few of the steps before he brought himself to a stop, probably remembering exactly what he and Schneizel had agreed.

Suzaku didn’t look up at the threat, his gaze still fixed on the floor.

Schneizel sighed and stood up. “This is your one chance, Suzaku. Tomorrow you will be judged by the court and what remains of the Senate. If you can help, we will be lenient. I cannot promise forgiveness, but the lack of a clear line of succession from my father means that this can all be swept up as a fight for the throne. I can’t promise that Lelouch will live considering his crimes, but I could manage something.”

That got Suzaku to look up, the knight holding his gaze for a moment before he gave a clear shake of his head. “I am the Knight of Zero, Knight of Honor to his imperial majesty, Lelouch vi Britannia.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“I am the Knight of Zero, Knight of Honor to his imperial majesty, Lelouch vi Britannia.”

Schneizel groaned and sat back in his chair, meeting Suzaku’s gaze for a moment before looking away. He waved at two of the guards that were standing by, watching as they collected Suzaku. If this was how the knight was going to act, then there was no chance that he would do well when judged by the others. Schneizel had done all that he could for Suzaku and the knight’s fate was in his own hands.

Suzaku got to his feet without a struggle, walking calmly between the two guards. Schneizel would have been surprised, save for the fact that Suzaku was limping. That would slow the man down for a while, and give the guards the advantage that they were need.

Schneizel watched Suzaku for a moment before making one last play. There was a small chance that he could get Suzaku to talk, but there was a better chance that he could get Lelouch to break first. His younger brother was already angry, it wouldn’t take much more to encourage him to say more.

“Make sure to parade him through the cells. There’s no use in hiding that he’s alive any longer. Let his emperor know that his knight is alive.”

The two guards nodding, shoving at Suzaku to get him moving forward again. Suzaku shuffled forward without a comment, but he kept his head turned to glare at Schneizel. 

If Schneizel hadn’t been in complete control of the situation, he would have been intimidated. But he was confident and in control. Come the next day, the short reign of Lelouch vi Britannia would be sorted out and he could start untangling the mess Lelouch had made of the world. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the AU where Suzaku and Lelouch meet as teenagers ([Part I](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/98730212940/coldnobility-requested-princelelouch-and) \- [).](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/129787418346/joyeux-suzalulu-week-day-3-the-sword)

Lelouch strolled down the hall where the prisoners had been gathered, shaking his head at the conditions. He had been in control of Area 11 for a month and things still hadn’t changed. He hadn’t expected things to shift immediately, but the one place that his rule was law without question was still horribly backwards. The people who had been arrested after his victory in the Saitama Ghetto had been treated just like Suzaku.

He sighed, almost glad that he had left Suzaku back in the upper levels. Suzaku had been reluctant to let him go face the terrorists alone, but Lelouch couldn’t imagine them doing anything to him. He wasn’t going to go into the cells, not until he figured out what he was going to do.

He knew what his council would want him to do, which would be to order a public execution. That would definitely keep the other groups quiet, but it would also make them angry and careful. Those were two things that they couldn’t afford, not while the Area was still shaken from the death of Clovis. His half-brother had been a popular and well known prince. Lelouch was an untried prince, one that had done nothing that anyone would have heard about. Anything that he had worked on probably had Schneizel’s name attached up front.

Lelouch crossed his arms, staring into the cells. There weren’t too many people, no more than nine, which was small for a terrorist group. He didn’t have any real numbers on either the Japanese Liberation Front or the Blood of the Samurai faction, but he knew that they were larger. Lelouch eyed the nine people before shaking his head. He was sure that they didn’t know enough about the other groups to be worth the interrogation, but they still had knowledge that would be useful. If his military advisors were right, they were the group that had fought in Shinjuku before slipping away.

He eyed the red headed girl, watching as she glared back at him. He expected the anger from them considering Clovis’ policy of careful cajoling followed by executions. Then again, Clovis didn’t quite grasp the finer details of ruling anything. He had made enough martyrs to spur on the nation for a long while. Lelouch wasn’t about to add more to the mix.

The girl kept up her glare, although her gaze dropped back to his side. She laughed, the sound strangely muffled by the front of the cell. “Where’s your pet?”

“Suzaku?” Lelouch raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by the assumption. “He’s got other business to attend to.”

“Slaughtering more people?”

“Of course not.” Lelouch recoiled slightly before he could stop himself. He shook his head, trying to recover himself. “I’m not my brother.”

“Funny. You act like him.”

“Really? Because I’m the one who caught all of you. Clovis didn’t manage that.” Lelouch started to pace in front of them trying to watch all of them to see how they reacted. “And none of you are dead, nor are the ghetto’s inhabitants.”

“Do you want an award for being a decent person?”

Lelouch shook his head, amused by the way that the redhead kept pushing. No one had dared as much so far, not even Suzaku. The most Suzaku did was dance around the subject and look like he expected to be sent back down to the dungeons for anything that he dared to say. Lelouch was sure that he would never do that, not when there were thousands of other people in his government that he wanted to send away far more than Suzaku.

He paused in his pacing, glancing up at the security cameras. He was sure that his councilors and military advisers were watching the feed, waiting to report every failure to his father. He was equally as sure that his father didn’t care about what he was doing in Area 11, just as long as the Area calmed down and ceased to interrupt the sakuradite trade. Other than that, he had free rein to do what he wanted.

And what he wanted to do was radical, and would probably mean wading through meetings and paperwork for the next few weeks, but he was sure that it would be worth it.

From what he could see, there was a single path that he could take. As it stood, there were Britannian puppets where there should have been Japanese people. Lelouch doubted that his government would allow former terrorists onto his council, but he was sure that the group would know where to find people with the experience who weren’t beholden to the Britannians or trying to earn money from the subjugation of the Japanese. If they couldn’t help him there, then there were plenty of other ways he could use the resistance groups to his advantage.

He studied the girl for a moment longer before he decided that it was worth the gamble. “What do you know about Refrain?”

“That you’re killing us with it.”

Lelouch didn’t rise to the bait. He just nodded, looking over all nine of them. All of them finally looked interested, which was what he was waiting for.

He tipped his head towards them as he started pacing again. “Technically, Britannia is against the selling of any drugs to the Numbers,” he winced at the term, “but they don’t do anything to stop it. It’s a lucrative business to be sure, but one that I want nothing to do with it considering what it has done for my options. I want to go after it, but I can’t. I suspect that far too many of my councilors are in on the trade, so I can’t use any of the information I have gathered.”

“No Britannian will go after Refrain.”

“No, but I get the feeling you will.”

The redhead stared at him for a moment before laughing. “You’d let us out to cripple your government.”

“I’d let you out to boost your own. I’m not here to make money for myself. I’m here to keep this country running.”

“For the empire, you mean.”

“Fuck the empire.” Lelouch grinned at the shocked look on her face. “I’ve spent the past three years trying to use the empire but nothing has come of it. What I’m doing here is throwing my success back in my father’s face. Maybe when I’m done he’ll move me somewhere else and I’ll do the same again. The empire will lose revenue and the Areas will be put back into the hands of their people.”

“That’s not freedom.”

“It’s a holding solution and it’s the best I can offer at the moment. I’m the eleventh prince, I’m not close to the throne.”

The girl was silent for a moment, then she turned her head to speak to the other women in the cell. Lelouch didn’t know enough Japanese to pick out what she was saying, and he cursed himself for that oversight. When he found the time he would have to ask Suzaku to help him, because he hated not being able to carry out conversations without a translator. Besides, it would give him more time with the man.

He shook himself out of his thoughts as the girl looked back at him, Lelouch encouraged by the smile that he saw on her face. The girl nodded. “If it gets us out of here…”

“Without reprisals. You’ll disappear from the system just as long as you don’t attack any soldiers. You’ll be working on Refrain only. As such you can act on your own but I will provide information. I can’t promise that you’ll be official, but you’ll have protection.”

“And what about the others?”

“I haven’t thought of a use for them, but when I do you’ll hear about it.” Lelouch turned on his heel before pausing. “You’ll be let out late tonight. I can’t push anything faster than that. And, if you run into any of the other groups spread the word that this isn’t going to be a war between us, but a cooperation. That will probably be better than going out and arresting all of them.”

He didn’t wait for the girl’s response, it wouldn’t matter too much. He had his sword to aim at the Refrain trade and he had bought himself more time. The group wouldn’t be entirely loyal to him, but at least it was better than anything that the Britannians could give him.

Lelouch held his hands behind his back, smoothing his face into a neutral expression. His council would demand to know what he had talked to them about, which would mean long hours spent arguing with them. For once, he almost looked forward to it. It was about time they realized that he wasn’t going to be pushed around. He had plans for Area 11, and he couldn’t wait to see his father’s reaction when the emperor realized what he had done.


	20. Chapter 20

Hey young blood, doesn’t it feel like our time is running out?  
I’m gonna change you like a remix  
Then I’ll raise you like a phoenix.  
- _The Phoenix_ , Fall Out Boy

* * *

 

Suzaku had expected to be shot for disobeying orders, it was his captain’s right. But he wasn’t going to shoot Lelouch or the girl, not when they had done nothing wrong. They had just gotten swept up in the terrorist operations, the same ones that seemed to have led to the death of the driver. Suzaku hadn’t heard about the other terrorist, but it had sounded like they had been taken care of too. Everything was going as expected in the operation, all he had to do was convince his captain that the two weren’t any danger.

He took a careful step forward, watching as the captain jerked. He fully expected the man to pull the trigger, Suzaku just barely keeping his hands by his sides. “They aren’t a part of this, sir. The girl was in the pod. I don’t know if that means this truck is a decoy or if they took the wrong thing, but she wasn’t conscious for most of the attack.”

“And the student? Do you know him?”

Suzaku knew the answer that he had to say and it would get Lelouch killed. He licked his lips, having to force himself not to turn around and look at his friend. He knew what Lelouch would have wanted him to do. He had to protect Nunnally at all costs, and it hurt him to do it.

He looked back up at his captain, sure that his face showed the horror he felt as he shook his head. “No sir.”

His captain sighed, lifting his arm slightly. Suzaku tensed, ready for the tearing pain of the bullet when the captain twitched his arm to the side. Suzaku only had the time to realize that the bullet wouldn’t hit him before the captain fired.

Suzaku turned, watching as Lelouch shouted and collapsed, pressing his hand against his side. Lelouch’s black jacket hid most of the damage, but Suzaku could see blood leaking out through his friend’s fingers. Lelouch swayed on his feet for a moment before collapsing backward.

The girl was quick to catch Lelouch, the two of them practically falling on the ground. Suzaku watched the two of them, his horror only keeping him place long enough for the girl to start hauling Lelouch back towards the truck.

He sprinted across the space, sliding the last distance on his knees. Suzaku grabbed onto Lelouch’s shoulder, taking some of his dead weight. He glanced down at the hand that Lelouch still had pressed against the wound, not daring to pry it away to get a better look at the wound. It was pressure, which could possibly slow the bleeding if they could get Lelouch out of the tunnel quickly.

Suzaku shot a look back at the trunk, wincing when he saw how it was stuck. There would be no way to get it moving again, not without Lelouch bleeding out. The only other option was for the two of them to support Lelouch while they ran for the surface. Once there, they would have to dodge more patrols, but Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would be able to do it. As long as Lelouch remained conscious, he could shout out whatever cover he had and be whisked away.

He looked over at the girl, hoping that she would have something to add, but her attention was on the soldiers. Suzaku followed her gaze, his stomach sinking when he saw that the rest of his squad were taking aim at the three of them. He hunched slightly, trying to cover Lelouch with his own body as he looked for a way out.

They wouldn’t be able to move before the soldiers fired, he could see that much from the arrangement of the soldiers. Suzaku wasn’t sure that he would be able to haul Lelouch into the cover of the truck before they opened fire. The most they would be able to do was shove Lelouch under the truck, but that was just a stop gap.

Suzaku gritted his teeth, letting go of Lelouch. There wasn’t much they could do, but he could at least attempt a distraction. Lelouch had to get back to Nunnally, but he was expendable.

He shifted so he was standing in front of them. “Hold your fire.”

“Are you giving orders now, Eleven?”

“They’re innocents!”

“I don’t care. Our orders are to leave no one breathing.”

“I won’t let you.”

The captain shrugged, Suzaku’s heart beating faster as the gun was leveled at him. “You’re expendable.”

Suzaku thought he heard Lelouch croak out his name, but he didn’t let himself turn around. He didn’t know the girl, but he doubted that she would stand and let herself get shot. That was enough for him.

He swallowed and shifted back slightly, tipping his head so he could see the girl out of the corner of his eye. “Get Lelouch and run.”

The girl narrowed her eyes, Suzaku not sure if she was annoyed by him or if she didn’t trust him. Suzaku didn’t blame her for either. He swallowed, listening as the captain started shouting orders. “Please. Just get him home.”

He thought he heard the girl made a sound of agreement, but then she was grabbing his arm.

Suzaku jerked at the contact, trying to pull away from her at the shock that ran up his arm. He looked away from the soldiers, expecting to see the girl, but there was nothing behind him. He turned around, staring into the nothingness that surrounded him. Everyone once and a while he would get the flash of something; a face, a group of people, stars and a planet. Nothing that every made sense to him. He just felt like he was suspended in place, lost in the blank world.

“ _If I grant you power, will you save us?”_

Suzaku turned at the voice, even though he knew that there would be no one there. He searched the emptiness before shaking his head. “Who are you?”

He thought he heard the voice chuckle, but it was gone as soon as he heard it.  _“You’ll find out soon enough.”_

“What do you want?”

 _“I propose a deal—in exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other: a different providence, a different time, a different life. The Power of the King will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?_ ”

Suzaku wanted to refuse, because nothing in that sounded good. He swallowed and turned in place, trying to locate the voice. “What’s your wish?”

_“That will come later.”_

“How can I help you if I don’t know what it is?”

_“Do you want to save your friend?”_

Suzaku cursed, hearing his own impatience echoed in the voice. Something might have happened to him, but there was still Lelouch to worry about. His friend was still in danger and was still the priority. Taking the offered power wouldn’t be the smartest move, but it was something more than what he had. It was a chance of getting Lelouch back to Nunnally, which was all that mattered.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he nodded. “Yes. Just help me save him.”

He caught a bit of amusement from the voice before the electric shock repeated itself. Suzaku jerked, reaching up to press a hand against his left eye as the stumbled back.

A hand rested on his lower back, the little bit of pressure to keep him from moving further back. Suzaku shook his head, trying to rid himself of the burning sensation of his eye even as he turned. The girl and Lelouch were still behind him, but the girl was giving him a strangely knowing look. Suzaku jerked his gaze away, lowering his hand from his eye.

The captain and the rest of the soldiers were still standing by, looking seconds away from killing all three of them. It was like no time had passed, something that didn’t make sense to him.

He didn’t get the chance to think on it. The hand on his back pressed insistently against him, Suzaku stepping forward under its pressure.

He had to save the three of them, if only to make sure that Lelouch and the girl got out safely. To do that, he would have to take care of the soldiers.

Suzaku closed his left eye against the burn. He had run out of time, so he had to act. Suzaku bounced a bit on the balls of his feet before lunging forward. He didn’t have a plan, but he knew he had to disarm the men, he would work with that.

It was surprisingly easy to cover the distance between him and the soldiers. Suzaku snatched the guns away, tossing them as far as he could. He heard a few break on impact, but his attention was on the way that the soldiers were turning to face him, the motion strangely slow. Suzaku didn’t let himself think too hard about it, he was focused on grabbing the guns and knocking the men down.

They all collapsed easily, Suzaku hopping backwards from the disarmed soldiers as he waited for them to attack. They didn’t move, all of them groaning and staring up at the ceiling. Suzaku stared at them for a moment, watching for any signs that they were getting up.

He backed towards where Lelouch and the girl was. Suzaku dropped to his knees beside them, slipping his arm around Lelouch’s waist. “We need to go.”

To his surprise, the girl didn’t argue. She nodded and helped lift Lelouch to his feet, not seeming to care when Lelouch lolled her way. Suzaku tried to take most of Lelouch’s weight, wanting to spare her. She might have to take over if they ran into any more trouble.

Suzaku glanced at the dark patch on Lelouch’s jacket, wincing at how large it had spread. He stroked his fingers over Lelouch’s lower back, not even sure that his friend felt it, but it made him feel better. He curled his fingers into Lelouch’s jacket as he fixed his gaze on the empty subway tunnel ahead of him.

He couldn’t think about what had happened to the soldiers or the strange deal that he had made. The most important thing was to get his friend and the girl out of Shinjuku before became two more casualties.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the [daemon AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/336302/chapters/543803).

Filahiel was perhaps the most useful thing on his desk, probably even better than the laptop that Schneizel was currently working on, lazily scrolling down the page as he read the reports that were coming in from his network of people around the world. While the laptop was his best chance at a connection to the outside world, where his attention needed to be, Filahiel was the one who could recognize footsteps of people coming down towards his office. It was the fox that showed him whether or not he would have to drag his mind away from the mounting problems to the visitor in his office.

And, more often than not, Filahiel would ignore the person coming down the hall, just twitching his tail enough to warn Schneizel that he had heard someone coming and to prepare.

His attention was dragged from the dull and repetitive reports of failure as Filahiel suddenly sat up from the corner where he had been dozing all afternoon, staring eagerly at the door. Schneizel’s hand hovered over the keyboard of the laptop before shutting the whole machine down and stowing it in the slide out drawer of his desk, watching with amusement as Filahiel bobbed his head, the daemon obviously impatient for the approaching person to get there.

The fox stopped moving as the door opened, a dark brown rabbit hopping in before its human stepped into the room.

Schneizel watched Filahiel lean over the edge of the desk, the fox’s brown ears flicking before turning his attention to the man who had walked in after the rabbit. Schneizel moved his elbows in time for Kanon to set the stack of papers on his desk. He barely glanced at the top sheet, watching as Kanon bent down to pick up the rabbit from the floor, holding it gently in his arms.

“The Senate was obstinate again.”

“They always are.” Schneizel watched as Kanon pulled off one of his gloves, tucking it into his pocket before going back to stroking his daemon. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Kanon push his fingers deeper into Ralte’s fur than he needed to, recognizing the sign and leaning back in his chair. “What did they demand from me this time?”

“To call your father back to his duties.”

“The impossible.”

“Yes.” Kanon smiled wryly before leaning back against the wall.

Kanon looked away, Schneizel watching his hand fist in Ralte’s fur. He sighed and tipped his head to the side, leaning against his hand. “What do you think, Kanon?”

“Honestly, my lord, I think that this has gone too far.”

“So you, like the Senate, think that he should stop chasing this fantasy of his and come back to rule his empire.” Kanon nodded, Schneizel feeling the corner of his mouth twitch up for a moment. “So we agree on that then.”

He motioned Kanon closer, the man setting Ralte on Schneizel’s desk. The rabbit immediately settled into place and closed his eyes, Filahiel coming over from his corner of the desk to peer at the rabbit. Schneizel ignored the two daemons for the moment, leaning back in his chair. “However, father fully intends to continue his project and leave the running of the country to me.”

Filahiel glared at him before sidling up to Ralte, nudging the rabbit gently before draping a foreleg across the rabbit’s shoulders and beginning to lick the ruffled fur. Schneizel braced himself against the soft spark of pleasure that came from their two daemons touching, slightly surprised that it still had this effect despite the many times that Filahiel had touched Ralte. Kanon, on the other hand, was always surprised.

Schneizel allowed himself a moment to watch Kanon’s face as it went slack, the rest of his body relaxing after it. Kanon swayed on his feet for a moment, one arm reaching out to hold onto the desk to keep him on his feet. If Kanon reacted like this to having his daemon touched by Filahiel, something that fox made sure happened everyday, how would he react if  _Schneizel_  touched his demon? 

The prince glanced at Ralte, before leaning back further, putting more physical distance between himself and the daemon. He wouldn’t have that privilege, not while he was the second prince. He would be married off to the first princess that would contribute to the wealth of their empire and he wasn’t going to risk the addiction. If he had unlimited access to Kanon, down to his very soul, Schneizel didn’t know if he could stop himself.

“You’re working too hard.” 

Kanon opened his eyes, swallowing but not denying what Schneizel had said. “My prince?”

Schneizel held back a laugh at the confused look on Kanon’s face, not sure how much of his comment his aide had heard. 

Kanon gave a muffled moan. Schneizel shot a glance at Filahiel, the fox looking up from his work. From the look in his daemon’s eyes, he could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. He smiled to himself, letting his arm drop back to rest on the arm rest, carefully uncrossing his legs. “Kanon.”

His aide walked over to him, Schneizel smirking when Kanon eagerly clambered into his lap, Schneizel raising his hands to rub circles on Kanon’s clothed hips.

There was a scuffle on the desk as Ralte turned to press against Filahiel, the rabbit rolling onto his back. Schneizel observed the two daemons, watching them nuzzle each other before turning his attention back to Kanon, savoring the peaceful look on the man’s face, partially hating that he would be the one to ruin it. Like this, they were both content to just be here, to sit close to each other and feel the wash of pleasure from their daemon’s interactions, but Schneizel knew it could get much better.

He reached up to tilt Kanon’s head, the aide allowing Schneizel to turn his head, but he was the one that made the move to kiss Schneizel. Kanon always took the lead in their kisses, Schneizel let him have it. It was still a habit from his younger days to push the kisses too fast, to rush to the end because he was needed somewhere else. But Kanon forced him to slow down, to actually enjoy the situation instead of rushing through it. Kanon wasn’t going to let him go until they were done.

Schneizel allowed one corner of his mouth to twitch up in a smile before turning his attention down. He carefully undid Kanon’s coat before unlacing his shirt, slipping his hand up from the bottom to smooth his fingers over skin. Kanon shivered against him and gasped into his mouth at that, reaching up to take a better hold of Schneizel’s head to hold him still before grinding against Schneizel.

Kanon’s hands remained on his head for a moment longer before they started to move down his body, Schneizel carefully making sure that the kept up with the kiss as Kanon pushed away his coat, his fingers brushing over the fabric of the shirt under it before going right for Schneizel’s pants.

Schneizel sat back in his chair and allowed his aide to fumble with his pants for a moment before pushing at Kanon’s hips. It was enough pressure to break the kiss, Kanon panting down at him as Schneizel gestured for the man to get off his lap. “Pants off.”

Kanon moved eagerly to fulfill Schneizel’s request, pulling off his boots and unbuttoning his pants. Schneizel leaned back in his chair and watch, feeling his cock twitch eagerly when Kanon finally stepped out of his underwear.

He reached out to pull Kanon back towards him, taking the time to run his hands along the back of Kanon’s thighs before reaching for his own pants, unbuttoning them and pulling them down far enough to expose his erection.

“Top left drawer?”

Schneizel nodded in response, watching as Kanon leaned over to retrieve the tube of lube from where he stored it. He spared at glance at the two daemons, catching Filahiel’s gaze as the fox continued to lick Ralte’s neck, both daemons languid from the pleasure they were receiving across their bonds to their humans.

His attention was drawn back to Kanon as the man clambered back into his lap again, forgoing the kiss on the lips that Schneizel offered to pull at his cravat until it was loose. Kanon then applied himself to kissing Schneizel’s neck, obviously restraining himself from marking the prince. He smirked at the restraint, putting the lube onto his fingers and pushing one into Kanon.

Kanon let out a whine, his breath puffing out on Schneizel’s neck. Schneizel kept still for a moment before beginning to wiggle his finger in Kanon. He was gratified by the soft pants that were coming from his aide, turning his head slightly to watch Kanon’s face.

It was contorted delightfully in pleasure, Schneizel reaching up to brush his fingers across the bridge of Kanon’s nose, just because he could. Just because he wanted to smooth out the wrinkle that had formed there and try to memorize how the muscles had moved into this shape. All the while Kanon was looking at him desperately as Schneizel slipped the second finger in.

His other lovers - a number that he could count on one hand - had complained that he lacked passion during sex; something that Kanon had yet to confront him about. 

It wasn’t so much a lack of passion as that he had never learned to let his brain turn off. As the second prince of the empire of Britannia, he had been taught to never let his guard down. So, until the primal urge to thrust took over, he was cool and calm, if not a bit focused on his own need.

Schneizel carefully stretched Kanon, the tight heat reminding him that both he and Kanon had been busy for weeks on end before this. He took his time, easily finding Kanon’s prostate from the long ease of practice, pressing against it until Kanon fisted his shirt and shook his head. “Schneizel…”

He pulled his fingers out of Kanon, expecting to have to guide Kanon into place like all the other times, not for Kanon to nearly rush to impale himself on Schneizel’s cock. The speed of the entry took Schneizel completely by surprise, but not enough that he missed the mischievous smile on Kanon’s face as his aide settled comfortably in his lap. Schneizel narrowed his eyes. “You-”

Kanon started moving before Schneizel could finish his sentence, forcing him to rest his hands on Kanon’s hips to keep the pace from getting too fast too soon. He wanted to savor this in case it was the last time they would be able to do this for weeks, another thing he had learned from Kanon.

He relaxed when Kanon obliged him, turning his face up to receive Kanon’s eager kisses even as he wrapped his arms around the man, holding him close. Schneizel slid one hand to what was becoming his favorite spot on Kanon, the man’s lower back, feeling the muscles work as Kanon raised and lowered himself over Schneizel.

Schneizel broke the kiss to press his face into the join of Kanon’s neck and shoulder, memorizing every movement, every sound that Kanon made and filing them away. This, sadly, was something that he had learned on his own, something that he did every day. But using the skill on someone that he cared for was special, special because he actually bothered to keep himself up to date on what Kanon sounded like when he shifted his hips in a specific way, or the way Kanon breathed as he lowered himself over Schneizel.

Then came Schneizel’s favorite, the high pitched whine that told him that Kanon was close.

Schneizel preferred to not talk during sex; he couldn’t bring himself to whisper the false promises of love or forever and didn’t want to give himself the chance to do so. Kanon seemed  _incapable_  of speaking during sex, Schneizel preferring to take that as a compliment.

He smiled, turning his face so it was pressing against Kanon’s skin to hide the expression. Then, he shifted, getting a better hold on Kanon’s hips so he could really thrust into him with some force, the action drawing another whine out of Kanon.

Schneizel continued to pound into Kanon, tensing when Kanon clamped down around him and gasped. He was sure that he caught a syllable of his name before he came as well, his fingers digging into Kanon’s skin for a moment. 

When Schneizel released the tight grip he had on Kanon’s hips, he was careful to support him enough so that he wouldn’t fall backwards into the desk.

Much to Schneizel’s relief, Kanon wasn’t a cuddler. Even in his room at night, Schneizel would only get and extended hug and a kiss before Kanon curled up in his customary ball around Ralte. It was the same every time, and Schneizel didn’t regret it, because he didn’t think he would be up to cuddling himself.

Kanon flopped forward, wrapping his arms around Schneizel and holding that position for a while, just breathing on Schneizel’s neck as he recovered. As soon as he was ready, Kanon kissed Schneizel’s neck before pulling away, carefully lifting himself off of Schneizel’s lap and reaching for the tissues.

The box was passed to Schneizel, the two of them cleaning themselves up and arranging their clothes back in order. Schneizel paused part of the way through fastening his pants to stare at the bruise that he had glimpsed on Kanon’s neck, not remembering actually biting his aide, but the smirk on Kanon’s face said he had. Schneizel chuckled to himself and settled back into his seat, marking that bruise to a brief moment when his mind had, finally, shut off.

Kanon turned to pick up Ralte from the desk, the rabbit limp in his arms and partially asleep, Filahiel in the same condition. Schneizel pulled his chair closer to the desk, reaching out to stroke his daemon as he watched Kanon.

As expected his aide bowed to him and walked to the door, pausing with his hand over the keypad.

Schneizel hesitated a bit longer, debating the pros and cons of his choice. In the end, Filahiel decided the matter for him, the fox looking up at him with drowsy eyes and giving a slow nod. Schneizel cleared his throat, watching Kanon turn around. “I’ll require your assistance this evening. Come to my rooms after dinner.”

Kanon kept his surprise hidden well, if he was really surprised by the familiar order, bowing to Schneizel again before walking out of the room.

Filahiel chuckled as soon as Kanon was gone. “At least we’ll be sure that he’ll sleep now.”

“Yes,” Schneizel answered vaguely, his attention already directed at the stack of papers. He lifted his hand from Filahiel’s back, resting both elbows on the table as he started to read through the papers. He only had to wait a moment longer before Filahiel rested his head on Schneizel’s arm, drowsy and content, just like his human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schneizel - Filahiel – [Darwin’s Fox](http://cdn2.arkive.org/media/92/92A28D49-7B87-4467-9985-5BED13BF0A95/Presentation.Large/Wild-Darwins-fox.jpg)  
> Kanon - Ralte – [Swedish Hare](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/TanElfinrabbit.JPG/220px-TanElfinrabbit.JPG)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on [this picture by shoooting-angels](http://shoooting-angels.tumblr.com/post/61344809559/ive-got-the-feeling-weve-already-met-before).

Julius didn’t know if all Elevens were as reticent as the Knight of Seven, he hadn’t gotten many chances to leave his family’s estate. It was only because he had remained at the top of his studies that he had been offered this great chance.

The Kingsley family had once been a noteworthy one, one that wielded power and notoriety. They had fallen out of the sphere of royal favor sometime in the past, but this was his chance to bring them back into the limelight. He knew that he could take control of the situation in the EU, be it just bad handling of the armies or betrayal like the emperor feared. If that kind of trust hadn’t been explicit enough, he had been given to the care of a Round, the knights usually reserved for royalty alone.

Of course, his task would be much easier if the Eleven would talk to him. Surely the Eleven had to be a good pilot to be risen to his rank, especially if the rumors were true.

The Eleven had been the one to bring in Zero. Surely if he had managed that, then there must have been some intelligence in the man’s mind. But the Eleven had held himself aloof to a frustrating degree. It was to the point that Julius had to ambush the knight to get anything out of him.

It burned to wait on the pleasure of an Eleven, but Julius was not about to lose his one chance to shore up his family name.

_\- his sister. Where was his sister? She was important and he had to find – he needed – to help him –_

“Sir Kururugi, I need to speak with you.”

The knight turned to face him, obviously surprised to find him outside of his train carriage. Julius would have preferred to hold the interview in there. If the emperor thought that there was someone guilty of betraying their emperor and country, then he wanted to be sure of all the guards escorting them, but he didn’t have the time. Their train would be pulling in to St. Petersburg in a few hours and he wanted to use them after being –

_-he was fighting, everything tasted like ash and heat, he was so thirsty, so thirsty –_

Julius cleared his throat, leveling his gaze at the knight. There were things that he needed to talk about. “I was wondering what information the emperor shared with you about the mission.”

The Eleven stared at him for a moment, the neutral expression on his face annoying. Julius expected some sort of expression from the man, especially since he had –

_\- betrayed him, betrayed his country, betrayed everything –_

Julius pressed a hand to his mouth, closing his eyes. He had hoped that his headaches would leave him alone, especially since they weren’t on the rougher sections of track. He used the moment to take a few deep breaths before looking up at the Eleven. “We need to discuss what to do when we meet with the Duke. It is our first priority to impress upon him the importance of this mission because the emperor fears the worst. I believe that, despite your rank, the fact that you are an Eleven will-“

_\- not an Eleven, they were more than just Numbers, he was more than just a number, he was an ally, a friend, the worst kind of enemy, a betrayer –_

“Lord Kingsley?”

It wasn’t until he heard the Eleven calling his name that Julius realized that he had cut himself off to stare at the wall. He reached for his handkerchief, using the square of fabric to dab at the sweat that was forming on his forehead.

The train carriage was getting hot, as hot as a summer’s day back in –

_-Aries Villa in Britannia, Kururugi Shrine in Japan, Ashford Academy in Tokyo –_

He pressed the handkerchief against his mouth, waiting for his world to stop spinning. It only took him a moment to recover, Julius swallowing and looking up at the Eleven.

Anything he had been planning to say to the knight slipped out of his mind in the face of the concern that he saw on the Eleven’s face. He had never expected anything like that, not –

_-not since Euphy, not since Zero –_

“I’ve…I’ve got the feeling we’ve met before Sir Kururugi.”

The knight recoiled, Julius confused by the look of horror and disgust on the man’s face. He didn’t get a chance to apologize for his outburst before the Eleven turned on his heel and walked down the carriage. Julius felt too woozy to follow, even watching the sway of the knight’s cape made him sick.

He closed his eyes, leaning against the wall as he tried to calm his stomach even as his headache roared back to life again.

- _Suzaku aren’t they – so hot – sunflowers – Suzaku…water -_


	23. Chapter 23

“To gain everything and lose everything in the space of a moment. That is the fate of all princes destined for the throne.” – _Kings Rising_ , C.S. Pacat

* * *

 

Jiang Lihua had thought that her father would live forever. It hadn’t mattered that he had never been around or that he had been old for as long as she could remember. He had still been her father, a great, stately man that had visited her every once and a while to inquire about her lessons. It had never been like the families that she had read about in her stories, but he had been kind.

That was the thing that she found herself remembering above all things. He had been kind.

She thought about it as she was being helped into elaborate robes that were almost too big for her. She thought about it while she was led away from her rooms, all of her lesson books and playthings left behind for the huge space of the formal rooms that she had never entered; she had only seen them in passing. They engulfed her just as much as the robes did.

People lined the sides of the room, all of them bent over in the formal bow that she had spent a few days practicing for the times when her father had come to visit her. Jiang almost wanted to tell them to get up, but a glance at her escorts told her that it would be a bad idea. The people had to remain on their knees, but she didn’t like it. It made her feel more alone.

She was taken to the throne and helped up onto it. Then, she was declared Tianzi. The title surprised her because she wanted to protest that it had belonged to her father, but she was more shocked to find out that it had been a title.

She had always assumed that it was just her father’s name.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the AU where Lelouch convinces Suzaku to join him ([Part I](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/98394281029/saillune-requested-your-interpretation-of-suzaku) \- [Part II](http://eachainn.tumblr.com/post/98978114617/anonymous-requested-suzalulu-dont-trust-me) \- [Part III](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4905037/chapters/11251165).)

Suzaku was used to walking through the clubhouse in the dark. His duties with Camelot kept him at the college late, sometimes nearly until the next morning when the Black Knights had been in motion. On those nights, Suzaku considered himself lucky if he could get to the clubhouse to sleep. Lelouch was used to him climbing into bed at odd hours or crashing on the couch if C.C. had claimed his usual spot. With the arrangement going on for so long, C.C. had started to get bold, not that Suzaku minded.

It was still hard to get a read on her, but they were seemed to get along well. They certainly got along better than she and Lelouch did. Of course, the two of them would get along better if she stopped baiting him, but Suzaku assumed that it was part of the fun for her.

He hesitated in the hallway, torn between the ache in his stomach and his need to sleep. Tomorrow, or today depending on the time, was a weekend, and Lelouch had no plans for another attack. There was a chance to sleep in and try to make up all the homework that he had missed out on during his double life. The break would be a welcome one, especially after a week of running double patrols.

Suzaku rubbed the small of his back, trying to tease out the ache that had settled there. Stretching out would help, but he wanted food more. He couldn’t remember the last time he had eaten real food, and nibbling on the recognizable parts of Cecile’s creations didn’t count.

He shuffled towards the kitchen, surprised when he saw a light on. Lelouch and Nunnally didn’t made a habit of going for midnight snacks, the two of them ate like birds. Sayoko was probably already asleep in her room and wouldn’t wake up for anything. Suzaku hummed under his breath, trying to drop into a crouch despite his aching back.

He would have to talk to Lelouch and Rakshata about the shocks in the seats of the Burais. There were people doing patrols longer than he was and he could just imagine the pain that they were in. If Lelouch wanted his rebellion to work, he needed soldiers who would be able to move. But that was a subject to discuss later.

Suzaku edged into the kitchen, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw C.C. sitting on the counter with an open bag of chips beside her. She didn’t look too interested in the chips, her gaze on the lights and the rest of campus that she could see out of the window. She didn’t have a perfectly clear view of the approach to the clubhouse, but she had to have seen his approach. Her fingers moved around the edge of the glass, the motion slow and lazy. “You’re late.”

“Are you in charge of this place now?”

C.C. smiled and looked away from the window. “Don’t tell Lelouch.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” Suzaku walked up to the counter and snatched up the bag of chips. He heisted before digging in.

C.C. usually guarded her food with an almost cheerful joviality that hid the real worry that came from not knowing where her next meal would come from. Suzaku could understand that, he had worked through the same thing when the Britannians had invaded. Anything he had found had gone to Lelouch and Nunnally first.

He crunched through a few handfuls of chips before bothering to turn his attention back to C.C. The woman had remained perched on the counter and her gaze had gone back to the campus. Suzaku intended to leave her to it and look for leftovers when she turned her attention back to him.

Her gaze made him feel like he was pinned in place. Suzaku swallowed and met it, the rare thought crossing his mind that C.C. wasn’t just the lazy woman that she pretended to be. He shifted in place, waiting for C.C. to say something.

The stillness lasted until C.C. shook her head and jumped down from the counter. She walked past him to open the fridge doors, starting to pull out things and lay them on the island in the center of the kitchen. “He should take better care of you. You look like you’re going to collapse.”

“I’ve had worse.”

C.C. made a sound that could have been a laugh as she rattled around in the silverware drawer. She returned with a fork, starting to work on a slice of cake. Suzaku pulled over a plate of pasta, taking the fork she offered him.

He didn’t bother to heat the plate up, shoveling the pasta into his mouth. He kept an eye on C.C. as he ate, watching as she picked out parts of the cake, carefully eating it layer by layer. She paused halfway through the second layer, fixing him with a different look. “It took a while to get him to settle down. He thought that things had gone wrong.”

“There weren’t any raids for the night. It was just more calibration on the Lancelot.” Suzaku licked his lips, shoving the uneasy feeling of betrayal down. It was something that he was very practiced at doing. “He’ll get his Knightmare. He doesn’t have to worry about that.”

“I don’t think that’s what he’s worried about?”

“What?”

C.C. shook her head. Suzaku wanted to ask her what she really meant by her question, but she was already pushing ahead. “He’s never told me why you’re doing this? You look like you’re too honest for this kind of work.”

Suzaku stared at her, trying to figure out how the conversation had jumped tracks. When C.C. just continued to stare at him, he sighed and shifted his weight so he was leaning on the counter. “I wouldn’t have, if I hadn’t know that it was him. But, because it’s him… I know what makes him dangerous and this is everything that will push him the wrong way. If I’m here, I might be able to save people, because he doesn’t think about that.”

C.C. made a sound that was almost agreement. Suzaku watched her for a moment before shrugging. “He might have given up his title, but he hasn’t figured out how to not be a prince. Those people aren’t his pieces to be moved around at his will.”

For a moment, she looked impressed, but then she shook her head. “You’re naïve.”

“Maybe, but it’s better than nothing.”

C.C. made the almost agreeing sound again, Suzaku careful not to meet her gaze. This was the part of C.C. that he didn’t quite know how to handle.

He stared down at the empty plate before shaking his head. “I’m going to sleep while I can. Are you getting the bed tonight?”

She laughed and went back to her cake. “I had to trade that away to get Lelouch to stop pacing or storming wherever they keep you. They’re plenty of guest rooms for me. Besides, he kicks in his sleep.”

Suzaku laughed, but he didn’t bother to deny it. If Lelouch did, then he had never felt it, but he wouldn’t doubt C.C’s word on it. He was just glad to know where he was sleeping, and he always seemed to sleep better when he was curled around a warm body.

He dropped the plate in the dishwasher, giving C.C. a sleepy nod as he passed. Suzaku didn’t see if she returned it or not, his attention on the kitchen door and the dark hallway beyond it.

“He pays more attention to you as you think.”

Suzaku stopped abruptly at the sound of her voice. He turned slowly to look at her, expecting to have her staring at him with that strange, ancient look on her face. But she wasn’t paying attention to him, her full concentration on the slice of cake. Suzaku stared at her for a moment before shrugging it off. C.C. had always been strange, it was sometimes easier to just move on and file her words away.

He shuffled out into the hallway, his mind already on Lelouch and the bed that waited for him.


	25. Chapter 25

Like a wind  
Crashing down  
Among oak trees  
Love shattered  
My mind  
-Sappho

* * *

 

Marianne was in fine form today, the woman looking like she was dancing compared to the other Rounds’ sluggish movements. C.C. hummed and rested her chin on her arms, watching the woman run circles around the others.

Some were taking it in stride. Even Bismarck looked on the edge of laughter as Marianne pivoted to block his blade. The two of them exchanged smiles before Marianne was off again, working her way through the elite knights of Britannia.

There were others that hated that Marianne was beating them. C.C. was sure that they were all bristling that a common born woman was winning. Even if she had gained prowess because of her skills in the new Knightmares, that wasn’t much to these old knights. They believed in the old skills of sword and gun, and it made C.C. want to laugh. 

The court in Britannia was so wrapped up in their old traditions that they believed that their titles and skills would bring them through whatever came their way. That alone was enough for her to wish that Marianne would pound them all into the dust, because they deserved it.

Marianne rushed back underneath where she stood on the edge of the training arena. C.C. grinned as Marianne raised a hand to wave at her, returning with a lazy flick of her own fingers. She ignored the stares of some of the knights, they wouldn’t remember her in a few days. She was beneath their notice and, more importantly, they were beneath hers. None of them would be good recipients for her geass, they didn’t have the spark and drive. Besides, Marianne had promised to fulfill her wish.

It was strange that she trusted one of the people she gave the geass to. She’d had a bad run of luck over the last fifty years. All of the people she had found willing to enter into a contract had either gone insane as their geass had matured or had gotten themselves killed. It was nothing more than she expected because she’d never have gotten the urge to stick close to them for more than brief checks.

Marianne though, she believed. C.C. wasn’t sure if it was because that she had seen the woman carry through all her other promises with the same conviction or because her geass hadn’t manifested in any way. C.C. didn’t know, and she didn’t spend too much time thinking over it. There were plenty of other rumors to keep her close to Marianne, like the fact that there was someone else with the code close to the emperor of Britannia. It had been many years since she had met with someone like her.

Her attention was pulled away from future plans as one of the Rounds went down with a shout. Marianne rested her boot on the man’s chest, her sword leveled at his throat.

C.C. leaned forward, grinning at the look of shock and anger on the man’s face. There was a possibility that he would be an enemy, but watching him fall after spending hours listening to his smug commentary on the lower classes was worth it. Even better was the triumphant smile on Marianne’s face.

She found herself grinning, C.C. not bothering to hide her expression when Marianne turned to look at her. Marianne’s skills had brought them this far, but it was their victory and C.C. was completely willing to share in it.


	26. Chapter 26

I was the sun and he was the moon  
I was a desert and he was an island  
I was war and he was peace  
I was disaster and he was beauty  
I was sorrow and he was happiness  
I was death and he was life  
He was my salvation, I was his destruction.   
–Anonymous

* * *

 

He moved silently through the halls of the palace, barely paying attention to the guards that stood by the doors. He was restless, something in him encouraging him to pace. There was one place that he wanted to go above all else, but he wasn’t welcome there, not anymore. There were few places left to him anymore.

In fact, with her so far away, there was only one place left to him.

He slowed to a stop by one of the doors, reaching out for the panel only to stop himself. He wasn’t sure if he was welcome, especially considering when it was. But it was the only place left to him, especially when so much had changed. Things were moving strangely quickly now, and it was frightening to watch it all go past him like sand sliding through his fingers. He didn’t feel a part of the movement inside of the palace any longer, and it was disconcerting. He had been at the pulse point of all activity and even that was gone. He was left in the dark and he hated it.

He considered the door a moment more before entering the room, giving it a long look.

It was simple, just what he expected, with no sign that anyone actually lived in the rooms. They were just a place to sleep and nothing more. It was sad, but it was what he expected and it hurt more than he had prepared for.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his eyes, trying to steady himself. He was in the rooms for a purpose, one that had nagged at him all day.

He lifted his hand away and shuffled to the bed, trying not to look too hard at the mask on the table. He ignored the tug towards it and instead sat down on the side of the bed. There was room in the slight curve of the man’s body, just enough that he could sit without touching him. Things had been one way when they had parted, but time had passed. The two of them hadn’t fared well the last time they had parted, things had quickly gone downhill.

It was the man’s fault.

It was his fault.

He had stopped paying attention to who was to blame.

He sighed and shook his head, his gaze lingering on the discarded vials on the floor. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that they were full. That was at least better than the year before.

He turned to look at the bit of the man’s face that he could see over the covers. He sighed and reached out to card his fingers through the man’s hair, enjoying the imagined feeling of warmth. “If it means anything, I’m proud of you.”

The man huffed in his sleep. He thought he heard his name in that, but he ignored it. It was the name of a dead man, and it wasn’t important anymore. Sitting here was important. His fingers in the man’s hair was more important.

It didn’t matter that the touch wasn’t real, that his fingers were sinking through the man’s hair and through his skin.

It didn’t matter that he wasn’t alive.

“If it means anything, I’m sorry, Suzaku.”


	27. Chapter 27

“I, Sir Launcelot, who have loved you more than any knight living for your brave deed and gentle heart, must now despise you more than any knight living and henceforth be counted as your mortal enemy.‘”   
– "The Book of Sir. Tristram de Lyoness" in _Le Morte D’Arhtur_ , Thomas Malory

* * *

 

Gino watched as the remains of the Tristan was pulled into the bay. He felt the irrational urge to reach out and grab a scrap of metal for himself. The Knightmare had never been alive, but it had pulled him out of plenty of scrapes and battles, it had been his armor and his pride. He had been the youngest to be knighted and he had worn that title with proudly despite what everyone had said about his family connections.

If they had known anything they would have noticed that none of the Weinbergs had come to the ceremony, nor had they spoken to him any time they were at the palace. He was cast aside and only the fact that both his mother and father were too old to have another child kept him in the inheritance. His father might have hated him for what he had said and done, but that didn’t mean he wanted to lose everything that the family had worked for. Maybe one day, when his father was dying or already dead, he would be invited back to Beresmour and back into the fold. Gino wasn’t sure if he looked forward to that or dreaded it. It had always been like thinking about the day when the Tristan failed him, something that he didn’t really want to contemplate.

But one of those had already happened, his glorious Knightmare was reduced to pieces of scrap.

He tipped his head up as the claw lowered another chunk down onto the deck, Gino wincing at the thud that followed. The claw was already moving, retrieving the rest of what they had managed to scavenge from where Gino had finally managed to land the Tristan. The last he had heard from the scientists and engineers, they had most of the Knightmare, but there were always pieces that they wouldn’t be able to gather up. Irrationally, Gino wanted to be angry with them for that.

The Tristan was  _his,_  a sign that of his skill more than any title or cape. He had taken exquisite care of the Knightmare for the years he had been in the Rounds, because it was the Knightmare that had mattered. In everything, no matter which knight he was paired with, the Tristan was his partner.

He reached up to rub his eyes, trying to fight back the tears and exhaustion he felt. He was  _not_  going to break down and cry over the Knightmare, but what he really wanted to do was sleep. Maybe, when he woke up, everything would turn out to be a dream. He would roll out of bed and go back to his duties. The Tristan would be waiting, whole like it was supposed to be, and nestled between the Mordred and the Lancelot, like it always was. He could go and talk to Anya and tease Suzaku, and everything would be back to normal.

He lowered his hands back to his sides, sighing when he saw an engineer hurrying over to him. The woman gave him a long look before pulling out her tablet. Her fingers moved quickly over the surface before she shook her head.

“Good news, we can fix it. But we’ll have to remodel. A few of the systems are completely out of commission and it would be prudent to take the time to update.”

Something in Gino gave at that. He was glad that the Tristan could be resurrected, but some part of him didn’t want to lose his old Knightmare. But it would be stupid to demand that they make the Tristan the same and go against Suzaku again.

It had been defeated so easily. Gino knew that Suzaku had tried to spare him, especially when he had watched how Suzaku had gone after the other Rounds. There had been no mercy there and, for the first time, Gino suddenly realized how right the people were when they called Suzaku the White Reaper. He had never considered the nickname, not when Suzaku had been fighting on their side.

If he went up against Suzaku again, Gino wouldn’t expect mercy. So, when he went up against Suzaku, he and the Tristan would have to be better.

He clenched his hands into fists, giving the engineer a curt nod. “Do whatever you need to do.”

The woman made a distracted sound, still typing away at her tablet.

Gino glanced at the twisted mass that was his Knightmare before turning on his heel and walking away. He didn’t want to watch them tear it apart and start rebuilding, he was sure that it would break what little control he had. While they worked on Tristan he would worry about him so he would be able to do whatever was needed. He had to announce himself formally to Schneizel and give his allegiance to the true Emperor of Britannia. After that, he would rest and wait for orders.

And, the next time that he saw Suzaku, he would be ready to live up to the oath he had sworn.


	28. Chapter 28

Kallen shoved at the sticks into place, shoving mud against them with her foot. It was hard with her flat, webbed foot, but it was better than nothing, especially with predators about. She would have thought that Gino would have learned from their last encounter, but the dumb lord was still charging into situations like he could best them with his force of personality alone. That was going to get Gino killed, and Kallen wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

On one hand, he was another Britannian noble and the world could do with less of them. On the other hand, he hadn’t actually done anything wrong. Aside from rushing into danger – a danger that they wouldn’t have had to face as humans – and having the audacity to ask her for a kiss, he hadn’t done anything wrong. That was the most annoying thing, because she desperately wanted to hate someone for their situation.

Of all the things that they could have been cursed to turn into, a frog had not been at the top of her list. As she was rapidly figuring out, frogs couldn’t do much other than hop and swim.

She wiggled the stick further into the ground before giving the side of the structure a nod. That was two sides of their lean-to sorted out, which just left the cover. Kallen turned to look back at the bank of the stream, sighing when she saw Gino hauling a frog’s armful of leaves. It wasn’t much, which was equally as frustrating, but it would be enough to start.

Kallen resisted the urge to tap her foot against the ground as Gino hauled the leaves over. He dumped them at her feet, giving the structure a quick glance before attempting a whistle. His face screwed up when he realized that the sound wouldn’t come out, Kallen watching in amusement as he fumbled for another way to show his approval. Gino finally nodded, dropping down to all four feet as he looked into the lean-to. “Impressive.”

“Really?” Kallen started picking through the leaves that Gino had brought. The longer and larger ones she put aside to use on the roof. The rest she tied the stems together to use as part of the wall. “Didn’t think an Eleven could do something like this?”

“What?” Gino hopped over, picking up two leaves from the pile. He stared at her for a moment before copying her actions, making a face when the knot didn’t turn out right. He tried again, flashing her a smile when he managed the knot. Kallen rolled her eyes at the achievement, focusing on connecting the leaves.

She heard him sigh, surprised when Gino kept working alongside her. It took him a moment to speak to her again, Gino working steadily on his leaves as he talked. “What would you being an Eleven have to do with anything?”

Kallen nearly laughed until she saw the look on his face. She let her leaves fall onto her lap, looking Gino over carefully.

He looked just like a frog, but he had introduced himself by a Britannian name. She hadn’t recognized it beyond the fact that they were nobility and she had seen that in the way that Gino had acted. There was no mistaking a noble, even if he was a frog, it was something in his strut.

She played with her leaves before shrugging and working on the next tier. “To you, it’s everything.”

“No.”

“I meant you as a whole.”

“You meant Britannians.” Gino looked serous for a moment, Kallen fully expecting him to snap at her. Instead, he tossed his tier of leaves over on top of her finished one. “I mean, you’re right. Some Britannians wouldn’t be able to see that, but I don’t mind.”

“Why not?”

“We’re stuck in this together.” Gino motioned at the two of them when the stem of one of the leaves. “It’s my fault, I will admit that readily, so I have to deal with it. Besides, I’m glad that it’s you.”

Kallen stopped abruptly in the middle of her next tier. She stared at Gino for a moment, searching his face for any sign that he was mocking her, but he remained looking serious, or as serious as Gino could ever look. Kallen held his gaze for a moment longer before shoving her leaves back at him. She stepped carefully over to the leaves that would make up the roof, starting to settle them in place as Gino started working on the sides again.

She had hoped that the distance would stop the conversation, but Gino seemed to take that as an invitation.

He tossed another finished tier onto the others, laughing at the sight of them. “I mean, if it was just me on my own, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this.”

“You’re the son of Andreas Weinberg and a Knight of the Round.”

“So? That means I can spend money and pilot a Knightmare. I can speak three different languages, maybe, and I know which girls that I could marry, but I don’t know how to do…this. Without you, I would have been out in the open and probably a snack for someone.”

Kallen glanced back at Gino, quickly schooling her expression in a frown. “Without you, I wouldn’t be a frog.”

“I regret that.”

“But nothing else?”

“Nope.” Gino grinned at her before coming over with the leaves. “I’m almost glad you didn’t match the requirements. Would a great and noble lady know how to do any of this?”

Kallen took the leaves from him. “If I was a great and noble lady, then you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Which I would regret. This is the most I’ve seen of anywhere aside from my trips to boarding school. It’s fun.”

“I’m glad one of us is having fun.”

Gino huffed, weaving the leaves through the sticks that Kallen had put up. “Look, I know you feel cheated, but I can promise you this. I will bring your case to the government of Area 11. I swear that on my name.”

“It’s Japan!” Kallen stomped her foot, not daring to let go of the leaf that she was positioning. “And I don’t think I can trust you.”

“My name is all I have.” Gino shifted around to face her. “My father hasn’t quite disowned me, but I’m not exactly welcome back home until he’s dead.”

“What did you do? Steal his alcohol?”

“I defended one of our servants, a Number. I wouldn’t let him turn her off because of me.”

Kallen stared at him, tempted to push forward. There was something in that story that could be important, but that wasn’t her worry at the moment. It was getting darker and she wanted to get their shelter done. From every other animal she had asked it would be a full day’s travel to get to the witch that everyone claimed could lift the spell. She wanted to be well rested for that, especially if she was going to be traveling with Gino’s endless energy.

She shook her head, shoving the leaf into place. She dropped down to look at the roof, sighing when it looked like it would hold. It was secure, but it wasn’t finished.

Kallen stood up again, waving impatiently at Gino. “Keep going, we need this done before night falls.”

She thought she saw him give her a jaunty salute out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored it. As long as he made himself useful, she didn’t care what he did. She would be rid of him in a few days and then she would never have to hear about Gino Weinberg again.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on [this picture by zeirchele](http://zeirchele.tumblr.com/post/71680785187)

Suzaku jerked upright in his chair when he heard the door open. He glanced up and down the hall, taking note of the guards in their usual position. Nothing had changed for the few moments he had allowed himself to drift off to sleep. Suzaku cursed under his breath and stretched his back.

He and Lelouch had been up late the night before, working on all the notes and precedents that he would need for the treaty that he was sitting in on. Suzaku distinctly remembered a full hour of Lelouch just cursing steadily at everything that they had found, and he remembered thinking that it was the funniest thing in the world. He regretted it now, because he hadn’t gotten much sleep before he and his prince were rousted from their beds to meet from the delegation in full regalia.

Suzaku sighed and slumped down into the chair, listening to the jingle of his medals. All of them had been pressed upon him when he had been knighted, mostly to make him acceptable to the rest of the Britannians. Suzaku was sure that half of them were honors that had been made up on the fly. They had pleased Lelouch, if only because the same nobles that had been the loudest about their prince knighting an Eleven had had to sit as Lelouch had bestowed honors and made sure that they meant something. He pressed his hand against some of the medals, glancing over to the door into the conference room.

He sat up abruptly when he realized that Lelouch was outside of the door. To the best of his knowledge, the conference was still going on and would be for the rest of the week. After all, it was an important treaty, one that would make the careers of the diplomats and the eleventh prince if things went well. Although it looked like that same prince was about to fall asleep on his feet.

Suzaku went to get up from his chair, surprised when Lelouch shook his head. The prince motioned for him to stay in place, Lelouch leaning against the door for a moment more before pushing away.

He made he was over slowly, Suzaku not surprised when Lelouch loomed over him. He was surprised when Lelouch knocked his arms away and sat down on his lap.

Lelouch was rarely affectionate in public, it was just his way. Apparently, he was tired enough to not care. Or maybe he didn’t consider the guards a crowd. Suzaku didn’t care either way, because he had a lapful of a sleepy Lelouch.

He ran his hands up the outside of Lelouch’s thighs, settling them on Lelouch’s hips. Suzaku smiled at the agreeable hum that Lelouch made, the prince tipping forward slightly. Suzaku chuckled and leaned forward until their foreheads were resting against each other. He heard Lelouch sigh, some of the tension leaking out of him.

Suzaku rubbed his thumbs along the top of Lelouch’s hips. “You hanging in there?”

“As well as I can. I swear that the diplomats from Britannia were chosen to make our lives difficult.”

“But it’s working?”

“Yes. Our efforts weren’t for nothing and I’m sure it will go through, which is why I left them alone. They’ll argue about what they want and I’ll come in to completely ignore it all.”

“All of it.”

The corner of Lelouch’s mouth twitched up. “Only the Britannian demands. They’re going to try to bleed as much as they can out of this.”

Suzaku sighed, but he hadn’t expected anything different. There would be a lot of posturing before anything was finished, which Lelouch had no patience for.

He tipped his head up, hearing Lelouch suck in a quick breath. Suzaku stopped short of kissing his prince, flashing Lelouch a quick smile. “You going to make it through today?”

“That’s still up for debate.” Lelouch closed his eyes, leaning completely against Suzaku. “If I get lucky they’ll talking for hours.”

“Come on then, we’ll get you a nap so you can shove your way back in.”

He thought he saw Lelouch smile, but then the prince was moving away. He slid off of Suzaku’s lap, Suzaku missing the warmth. Suzaku ignored the feeling, settling for wrapping an arm around Lelouch so he could rest his hand on the prince’s lower back.

Lelouch leaned back against the touch before rocking slightly so he could rest his head briefly on Suzaku’s shoulder. Suzaku sighed and pulled Lelouch closer to him, partially to support him and partially because he was exhausted enough to want something more than the small touches and looks that they usually used during the day.

He curled his fingers into Lelouch’s jacket, using the hold to propel Lelouch down the hall and back towards the royal quarters. The guards in the hall would send any pages to find the two of them, although Suzaku was sure that no one would be surprised. Lelouch made a habit of letting people stew until they came around to his line of thinking. Depending on how stubborn the diplomats were, they could have days. But Suzaku was sure that Lelouch would win out in the end, his prince had never failed yet.


End file.
